Without Words
by Selec
Summary: Magnus Bane hated that arrogant bastard Jace Lightwood with a burning passion and couldn't wait to finish what work he had with that annoying Nephilim. That is, until he met Goldilocks' endearing brother – who couldn't speak, yet was able to capture Magnus without words. Well, he might stick around for longer, after all.
1. Captivated

**Summary:** Magnus Bane hated that arrogant bastard Jace Lightwood with a burning passion and couldn't wait to finish what work he had with that annoying Nephilim. That is, until he met Goldilocks' endearing brother – who couldn't speak, yet was able to capture Magnus without words. Well, he might stick around for longer, after all.

**Pairings:** Malec (and some others)

**Genre:** Romance/Drama

**Rating:** M (to be safe)

**Warnings:** Some violence in later chapters. Male/Male relations. If anything else, it'll be added.

**A/N: **Well, that's my first fanfiction for this fandom, at least in English, and I'm quite curious if _anyone_ will be interested in it ;) I sure hope so. English isn't my native tongue (actually, it is my 3rd language) and if you happen to find errors don't hesitate to mention them :)

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**Without Words**.

"_Sometimes, words aren't needed, the language of the eyes and signs enough to speak. Silent confessions express more than thousand words ever could_."

_**Captivated**_.

There weren't many things Magnus Bane _really_ hated. But those he did, he hated with a burning passion. Three he could list right now since they were bothering him immensely, for the past few days.

One, he hated it to work with ignorant Nephilim. Two, he couldn't stand it to be told _what_ and _how_ to do. Three, he hated anyone who thought to be superior to him even though they _weren't_. And Jace fucking Lightwood was the epitome of all those aforementioned – and the center of Magnus' hatred.

Seriously, he knew _how_ those Nephilim were, having lived for centuries now and come along quite a lot of them. But rarely has he met one as arrogant and annoying as this golden boy. Though, '_golden boy_' was the most unfit labeling one could have found for that bastard. '_Disguised devil_' was more like it if anyone asked him and _he_ should know what a devil was like. Not for the first time, he wondered why he even bothered with that nuisance. It wasn't like Lightwood couldn't find another warlock in New York, although Magnus _was_ the best. And the money wasn't the reason Magnus stuck around since he didn't really need it. Besides, he had customers who paid more than the Nephilim.

Looking down at the file in his hands, he sighed wistfully. He didn't hold any love for Goldilocks, _yes_, but that case the Nephilim was working on interested Magnus greatly.

Nearly two weeks ago, Jace's girlfriend, Clarissa Fray a newbie Shadowhunter in training, disappeared without leaving any trace. The Clave had been pretty sure that the girl either died, or was kidnapped – the latter was confirmed when Jace received a letter from the kidnappers. What exactly this letter said Magnus had no idea and Lightwood wouldn't tell him because of some professional secrecy shit. Hence, Magnus didn't want to help them when they were holding back essential information from him. But alas, he knew Clarissa quite well, had watched her grow into a young lady and might have developed some kind of attachment towards her. And the girl herself was really sweet – he wondered, not for the first time, how she could put up with the likes of Lightwood – and he _wanted_ to help her. Especially after he had seen how anxious the whole clave was about this whole matter. Whatever the kidnappers demanded, it had to be huge.

"I shouldn't care," he muttered under his breath, little white smothers leaving his lips in the process.

Goldilocks kept pestering him none-stop, made him even work till late into the night, and frankly said Magnus was beyond pissed. He could understand the bastard to some extent, after all he just worried about his girlfriend, but couldn't the Clave have given him someone else to work with? Someone whom he didn't want to strangle as soon as he opened his mouth?

_At least, I won't have to put up with the little shit for too long_. That was if he was on the right track now.

Another sigh escaped his lips as he neared the huge white villa that seemed to loom over the few houses in the neighborhood. It radiated power and grace as if trying to be superior to everything and everyone else, reminding Magnus of its inhabitants. Why didn't Goldilocks live at the Institute, anyways? It would have been closer to Magnus own apartment and thus, faster to reach.

Magnus walked past the open gate and nodded curtly to the tall, bulky man standing guard who apparently didn't deem it necessary to return the gesture. Again, he wondered why there was a guard needed. Jace Lightwood and his sister Isabelle Lightwood, whom Magnus had met briefly, were both shadowhunters – what did they need a guard for? Not that he was going to ask, prying wasn't like him. He was just curious.

He went straight for the wooden doors, not even glancing around to take in the view. It was winter, but it hadn't snowed yet therefore, there wasn't much to see. Covered in snow this place would be magnificent. Reaching the doors, Magnus rang the bell and waited. Hopefully, Lightwood would be home. On the phone, he told Magnus to come around noon but didn't define a specific time.

After several minutes of waiting, Magnus wondered if anyone was at home. Maybe he should just enter? It wasn't that hard to do so, with a little bit of magic, and he wasn't keen on walking back the whole way he just came. It was goddamn _freezing_!

Wouldn't surprise him if that jerk was taking his time on purpose, knowing well who was on the other side of the doors. If that was the case –

His mental rant was abruptly stopped as the doors opened and instead of the familiar brown eyes he despised so much a sea of deep blue looked at him, surprised. Magnus blinked, taking in the sight in front of him.

A boy, quite tall but not as tall as he himself, with dark hair, some strands were falling into his eyes, a clear contrast to the ghostly paleness of his skin. He had high cheek-bones, sharp facial features and his cheeks were tinted a visible shade of red, though Magnus doubted it was because of the cold.

_Beautiful_. Even that hideous green sweater the boy was wearing seemed to work for him, really well actually. And… was that a dimple? Yes, as the corners of the boy's mouth turned upwards into an awkward half-smile there appeared a dimple above one corner. _Definitely beautiful_.

Magnus cleared his throat when he realized that, first, he was staring – but to his defense the boy was staring, too, and more was more obvious than him – and second, neither of them was breaking the silence, and smiled charmingly. "Hello, there. The name's Magnus Bane and I have business with Jace Lightwood?"

The boy flinched slightly as if snapped out from a trance and Magnus smirked inwardly. Though, the other was clearly embarrassed and averted his eyes, frowning. Then, as he processed what was said, recognition lightened his features and he nodded, indicating for Magnus to come in. Magnus raised a brow, confused as to why the other didn't introduce himself, but followed him insides, nonetheless.

They walked through the huge hallway, the smell of wood and rain heavy in the air. Magnus looked at the empty walls without much interest. Instead, his eyes traveled down his guide's back. The pants didn't give away _much_ but enough for his imagination to picture a delicious ass hidden by those disturbing layers of clothes. Unconsciously, he licked his lips – his visit turned out to be more than interesting.

It wasn't the first time that Magnus visited the Lightwood residence but he was sure that he had never before seen this boy. He had had his suspicions that Goldilocks and Isabelle weren't the only ones living here, he even had caught a glimpse of a little child once, at least he believed he did. But the blue-eyed beauty? Never.

In the spacious living room, Magnus occupied the cushion he always did, sitting beside the glass door that offered a good view into the garden, and put the file down next to him. Blue-eyes, as he would call the boy for now, stood awkwardly in front of him, shuffling with his feet and not looking up.

"So," Magnus drawled, leaning back a little bit and eying the boy unashamedly. "You got a name, darling?"

Said darling blushed a deep shade of red, eyes wide in shock and mouth agape. Magnus smirked, enjoying the reaction he got. _Cute_. Sadly, blue-eyes still didn't utter a word, he didn't even stutter which Magnus was sure he would have done.

Why wasn't he talking to him? It was strange and frustrating since Magnus wanted to hear the voice belonging to that boy, so badly.

Blue-eyes came a step closer, raising his left hand and pointing with his forefinger to something near Magnus. When he followed the motion, he spotted a small, golden bell right next to his leg. Grinning mischievously, he grasped it and held it in front of his face. "You want that?"

The boy nodded slowly, looking between Magnus and the bell.

"Well." Magnus motioned for the boy the come closer. "Then, you'll have to get it, lovely."

Beneath all that red painting his cheeks it was obvious how uncomfortable Blue-eyes was. His eyes even flickered towards the door they had entered through as if contemplating to run. In the end, he did as he was told, and Magnus had to bit his lower lips to keep himself from chuckling at the slow and careful steps he took.

"I'm not going to eat you," he teased.

Blue-eyes pursed his lips, still not saying anything, and reached for the bell. Before he even touched it, Magnus quickly grabbed his wrist, apparently surprising the boy so much that he lost his balance and fell down onto him, knocking the bell out of his hand. It landed on the floor, emitting a string of loud, melodic noises. Though, Magnus didn't pay much attention to it, solely focused on the weight on top of him.

Fingers clutched tightly onto his shoulders, warm breath grazed his face, making a pleasant shudder run down his spine. When the boy opened his eyes, which he had closed before, confusion and disbelief were swimming in this pool of deep blue, along with an innocence that made Magnus' heart skip a beat. He could feel the warmth radiating off the other's body, could see the sweet blush adorning his skin – and he liked it. A lot.

There was a faint noise in the distance, but he ignored it.

Blue-eyes squirmed as if trying to stand up and instinctively, Magnus' free hand snaked around his waist, holding him in place, while his other hand released the wrist and gently touched the boy's temple. He smiled when Blue-eyes stopped moving and just stared at him, frozen.

"You know," he whispered lowly. "A name would have been enough, for now. But I like how forward you are, darling."

It was quite interesting how many shades of red a human could turn – and on the human _nearly_ sitting in his lap it was plainly adorable.

"The fuck, _Bane_!"

Blue-eyes jumped startled but since he was still being hold he couldn't stand up. Instead, he was now really sitting in Magnus' lap, looking towards the door, mortified. Magnus sighed annoyed – of course, that bastard _had to_ barge in – before he, too, turned a bit to gaze towards the intruder.

Well, he had never seen Goldilocks that furious. Not even that one time when he had forced him to rest and the idiot had slept through a whole day which he could have used to look for Clary. And by the way Blondie was holding two long seraph blades, Magnus was sure he was going to be attacked at any moment.

"What the hell are you doing, Sparkly?!"

Magnus raised a brow at the lame insult. "What, pray tell, do you mean?"

"Don't fuck with me," Jace hissed, his gaze briefly flickering towards Blue-eyes.

Magnus smirked and, provocatively, rested chin on Blue-eye's shoulder. "Why, just making this beauty's acquaintance."

Said beauty finally scrambled from his lap and stumbled a few steps back, looking down and hiding his burning face. Magnus pouted playfully, missing the warmth.

Jace took a deep breath before he walked into the room and picked up the forgotten bell with a frown. "Alec," he turned towards the other boy. "Don't scare me like that! I thought there was a demon or something attacking!"

"Alec, huh?" Magnus muttered, tasting the name on his tongue. It had a nice ring to it, although… "Is that short for Alexander?"

Goldilocks whirled around, glaring at him. "First of, I wasn't talking to you! And secondly, why do you _care_?"

"I'm just curious. And I must say, I'm a sucker for black and blue and I _love_ the name Alexander." For emphasis, he winked at Alec earning another cute blush – and a growl from Jace. "Besides, he wasn't telling me his name."

Immediately, Jace's anger seemed to deflate and a dark shadow flew over his face. Alec fidgeted uncomfortably and most probably not from embarrassment. The change in atmosphere was so sudden that it irritated Magnus. Did he say something wrong?

"Alec, we'll talk later," Jace said calmly. "I think Max needs some help with his homework."

Alec looked towards the blond, hesitating for a second, before he nodded slowly. When his eyes landed back on Magnus, a small, apologetic smile tugged at his lips – and Magnus returned the smile with a sincere one of his own. Alec relaxed visibly at the gesture and walked past Blondie and out of the room.

Magnus focused his attention on Jace who sat down on the edge of the round table in the middle of the room, not that far away from him. "What was that about?"

Jace sighed tiredly and now that he wasn't radiating waves of anger, Magnus could clearly see the exhaustion lingering on him. He was extremely pale, dark bags visible under his eyes, yet there was something else… He couldn't put his finger on it, but it bothered him.

"Alec, my _brother_, didn't tell you his name?" Jace inquired quietly, looking him over calculatingly.

Brother, huh? So, there were four Lightwood children. "Actually, he didn't talk at all."

Jace smiled, not the arrogant or mischievous smile Magnus knew and hated, but a humorless, sardonic one. "Well, that's because he _can't_."

_That's because he_ can't.

Magnus blinked, his brain slowly processing the information. So, it wasn't shyness or dislike that made Alec stay silent? He was actually _mute_? He thought back to the moment before Jace asked Alec to leave – the boy had been uncomfortable but more than that _scared_. Afraid of Magnus finding out about his disability?

_Now_ he felt bad for trying to make Alec speak. Shit, that sure as hell left a bad impression on him!

"That explains a lot," he murmured thoughtfully. "You said that he scared you?"

"With the bell." Jace placed said bell down next to him. "If he needs someone, he rings two times. If there is some kind of danger, he rings loudly and more than two times."

Oh. The bell falling to the floor alarmed Jace? Just his luck… "But… isn't he a Nephilim, too? He should be able to defend himself, shouldn't he?"

The look Jace was regarding him with touched something within him, lightening a spark of sympathy in him even though he couldn't understand why. Jace's eyes were full of despair and pain, emotions Magnus caught before they were hidden behind a curtain of indifference. And they let him wonder what exactly these _children_ had been trough, thus far in live.

"He has some dis-" Jace interrupted himself, shaking his head slightly. "Look, I don't know why you're asking all these questions and I don't care, okay? Just – just don't molest him, especially not in his own home."

Though disappointed Magnus knew when it was enough. But one last remark he had to make, "I didn't know you could be so protective, Blondie. It's kind of cute."

On cue, Jace scowled at him. "Shut up. What are you here for, anyways? Anything new?"

Magnus nodded and grabbed his file, handing it over to Jace. "This morning, I was able to feel Clary. It wasn't much," he added upon seeing Jace's hopeful expression. "Just a glimpse before whatever barrier they constructed around her closed. I'm not sure where exactly she was at the time, but I've done some research and I'm pretty sure she must be or had been in one of the buildings I've listed there."

What he had glimpsed from Clary had been so faint he had nearly missed it. It was the first hint he had gotten in nearly two weeks and he had immediately latched onto it. There were five buildings he suspected Clary could be in – all of them familiar to Downworlders and all of them emitted faint traces of magic.

"And how will we know for sure _where_ she is?" Jace inquired while looking through the file.

Magnus shrugged. "You'll have to investigate yourself. But be careful – don't let anyone there know _who_ you are. If word gets around that Shadowhunters are lingering around that area and Clary is still somewhere there, they'll move her."

Jace tensed and clutched the file tighter in his hands. "That won't happen."

For a while, Magnus just stared at the boy before he allowed himself a half-smile directed at him. "I'm sure it won't. So, go and pick some trustworthy Nephilim to help you with this. And don't forget: You'll only investigate and _if_ you happen to find Clary, contact me first before doing anything."

"I'll try to remember," Goldilocks smirked. "And now, get out. And _you_ should keep in mind: Don't molest my brother."

_No promises_.

When Magnus stepped into the hallway, he turned towards the stone stairwell and saw Alec lingering on the first step, watching him curiously. He winked and chuckled as this earned him a shy smile back. With a quick look into the living-room to make sure that Jace wasn't watching, he clicked his fingers, feeling magic prickling in the tips of his fingers. Alec gasped soundlessly, at least his lips were suddenly parted, as he eyed his right palm, confusion written all over his face when he stared at Magnus.

Magnus smirked. "Write me, darling."

Well, maybe working with Jace Lightwood had its perks.


	2. Haunting eyes

_-Guest_: Thank you for your review ;)

_-gfhjjkhj_: Thanks, glad you liked it! :D And yes, protective-Jace is awesome.

_-suzanne_: Thanks for reviewing. I'm glad you're interested in the story ;)

_-ArtElf_: Wow, thank you :D I'm really happy you liked it, thus far.

_-Guest1_: Thank you :)

**A/N**: I'm really surprised about all the response I got with the first chapter. Thanks to everyone who left a review, who has added the story to their favorites and who are following it. I hope you'll like the second chapter as much! It's Alec's p.o.v ;)

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_**Haunting eyes**_.

Alexander Lightwood despised pity more than anything else.

Sure, it wasn't anything that could really harm him, nor did the people who pitied him intend to hurt him. Yet, he hated to see it in the eyes of those around him, to feel it in their behavior towards him. It made him feel inferior to everyone else, weaker and more fragile.

He couldn't talk – that was a fact. And he was used to it, accepted it as a part of himself.

It hadn't been always like that. When he was younger, _much_ younger he had been able to use his voice just like normal people could. But it had been so long ago that he couldn't even remember what it was like to speak, to form words and communicate with others. It was nothing but a mere fading memory, blurred by time.

He didn't really know _how_ he lost his voice, either. There had been an attack, a demon breaking into their home, this much he knew for sure. Everything else that happened that day was a hazy sequence of pictures, colors and noises, and whenever he tried to think about it, to see more clearly his chest would tighten almost painfully and his throat would start to throb.

His father, having been present along with him and his mother, was the only one who could have told him what exactly happened, though the man still refused to do so. Alec did understand _why_ – his mother died that day. And Robert didn't want to relieve those horrible moments, never ever. Besides, sometimes he believed it was better for him to stay in the dark, to pretend he had always been like this and there hadn't been a reason for the loss of his voice.

Anyways, _even if_ he was mute he didn't need anyone to treat him as if he was made of glass and could break easily, at any moment. It was enough that his family fawned over him, though because of entirely different reasons.

And now, while he was staring at the sparkling blue numbers on his right palm, he wasn't sure what to make of it. Did Magnus mean it? Maybe Jace didn't tell him about his condition… But what if he did? Was this then an act of pity on Magnus' part? Since he had been flirting with him downstairs, and just gave him his number to make him feel better?

Alec sighed tiredly and turned onto his side, facing the only window in his room. The sky was tinted red, foreshadowing the upcoming night.

This was really frustrating. He had no idea what to do. On one hand, he was tempted to write to Magnus, he really wanted it. But on the other hand… he wasn't sure if Magnus was serious about it.

_Why can't I stop thinking about him_?

There was a knock on his door, interrupting his thoughts, before Jace's muffled voice sounded from the other side. "Alec? I'm coming in."

Alec didn't bother to move, not even when he heard Jace entering his room and making his way towards him. The mattress of his bed dipped slightly as Jace sat down on the edge, next to his feet.

"Are you alright?"

_Why shouldn't I be_? He nodded slowly, still not moving.

"You didn't go to Max?"

He shook his head, though it should be obvious, shouldn't it? He wouldn't be lying here if he were with Max. Besides, he was perfectly aware of the fact that Max was just an excuse to make him leave Jace and Magnus alone – Max had no homework to be done.

"You're angry," Jace stated quietly.

Alec sighed tonelessly and brought himself to sit up, pulling one knee against his chest. Tentatively, she shook his head. No, he wasn't angry with Jace just immensely frustrated, though he didn't know why exactly. It couldn't be only because of Magnus.

"But you're upset."

Alec eyed his brother, took in the worried and anxious look on his face and frowned. _This_ was what annoyed him a lot, at least about his family. He knew that he had some… problems, but he wasn't that weak that they had to worry about him constantly and about the stupidest reasons. Everyone got upset, what was the big deal?

Jace hadn't been like this, not that over-worried. Protective, yes, but not like that. Clary's disappearance affected him way more than he himself realized, apparently.

Alec brought up his hands and formed signs, Jace following the movements intently. 'Did you tell Magnus about me?'

Irritated, Jace raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Alec pressed his lips into a thin line, clearly annoyed, and just stared at the other boy expectantly. Eventually, Jace sighed in defeat. "Yes."

_Wonderful_. Alec felt something inside of him clench painfully and closed his eyes, turning his head away to escape Jace's intense gaze. So, it was just pity?

"I'm going out." Well, at least Jace knew when to change the subject. "We have some hints about Clary's whereabouts and I'm going to investigate. Izzy might help me. I don't know how long it'll take, so…"

Jace sounded so tired – and he sure as hell needed some rest. Yet, he needed to do this investigation, too, Alec was aware of it. He wouldn't be able to rest peacefully, not until Clary was with him, safe and unharmed. Therefore, Alec smiled slightly at him, showing him that it was okay.

"Well, then I'll be going."

He watched the blond leave his room, noticed his stiffened motions and rolled his eyes. Seriously, Izzy and Jace were Shadowhunters and as such always on the hunt. It was what they had to do – nothing to feel bad about. Unlike Robert, they didn't disappear for months without any trace. They should be proud about what they accomplish.

And times like this, when he watched his siblings leave to hunt demons or, as it was now the case, to safe someone they cared for, he yearned to do the same. And cursed that he couldn't, even though he was no stranger to the shadowhunting business.

In such moments, he was most conscious of the fact that it wasn't his muteness that made his life so complicated. It was just an addition to the defects he bore since birth.

* * *

Alec's fingers flew over the keys, the tones resonating through the large room were bright and fast. All the while, he had his eyes closed and, like the past two days whenever he closed his lids, bright yellow with a tint of green glowed in the darkness. Sometimes, the blackness around the yellow would glitter, and other times, he could see a mischievous smile directed at him.

But _those eyes_ were always there.

He hadn't contacted Magnus, though he had been tempted to on several occasions. But whenever he was about to send a short message, his thumb would pause over the 'send' button. Maybe if he hadn't asked Jace, if he hadn't known that Magnus gave him his number probably out of pity… maybe then he could have gathered the courage to press that damn button.

Magnus wouldn't leave his mind – and it was making him crazy. Seriously, how long had he known the warlock? A few minutes? And _that_ had been enough to make him obsessed? How pathetic was that?

_And those eyes_… Alec had no idea what it was about them that made his stomach flutter and his nerves burn. They hunted him, not only in his dreams but also in moments like this, when he was trying to relax and forget the world around him.

Apparently, he could forget everything and everyone, just not Magnus Bane.

"Alec?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked to his side, surprised. Max was sitting next to him on the bench, eying him curiously.

"Why'd you stop to play?"

Did he? Puzzled, Alec looked down. His fingers were touching the keys, yes, but not moving, not pressing them. When did he stop playing? And when did Max come in?

"Was this a new song? I liked it."

Alec shrugged, forcing a small smile onto his lips. He hadn't been playing any song, just created a melody based on what he was feeling right now.

Music was special to Alec, had always been. It was one of the things that made him cope with his muteness – to know that he was still able to create sounds. That knowledge had been like soothing balm on his burning soul, when he'd been younger. And it still made him feel good.

Alec shook his head, before he stood up and motioned for Max to follow him. In an instant, the younger boy was walking next to him, clutching his hand.

"Can I sleep in your room? The shadows are back in mine."

Alec never really understood what Max meant when he said _shadows_. He always assumed it were nightmares, with which all the demons they had been attacked by their whole lives wasn't that unusual. Though, he never asked because Max looked so _scared_ even mentioning those shadows. And his voice was so small and hesitant when he asked to sleep in Alec's room.

He squeezed the hand in his own tighter, indicating that he was okay with it.

"Thanks," Max smiled and the relief that was visible on his face made Alec's chest constrict. Max was, for his ten years, a really smart boy and not easily afraid of anything. Whatever those shadows were they had to be terrifying to shake up his brother this bad.

While walking through the dimly lit hallway towards his bedroom, Alec wondered how Jace and Izzy were doing. Yesterday, Izzy had been home for a few hours to sleep – and she really had needed it with how battered she had looked. Jace hadn't been here since he left and Alec was getting anxious.

He hated it how this damn case was exhausting his siblings. Hopefully, they would find Clary soon.

Later, when Max already had fallen asleep next to him, Alec was still wide awake, staring into the darkness while caressing Max' hair softly. He had been restless the whole day, and now his restlessness was keeping him from sleep.

He couldn't explain it but there was something… a feeling in his stomach…

Alec blinked irritated. Was it just him or were there really yellow specks glowing in the darkness? Shit, it was happening again – and with his eyes _open_!

_Write him_.

Instinctively, Alec's eyes flitted towards his phone lying on the nightstand. Why was it that even by the mention of something yellow he had to think about that warlock? It was getting ridiculous!

But… Maybe he was worried for Jace and Izzy and couldn't sleep because of that? And Magnus worked with them, therefore he should be able to tell him if they were alright, shouldn't he?

Before he could comprehend what he was doing, Alec had reached for the phone. With a glance to the sleeping form of his brother, he turned a little bit and tipped in Magnus' number – which he had memorized by now. Yeah, he had been tempted to call a lot of times.

Though, what could he write? He never wrote to anyone but his siblings. Something simple…

'_Hey, this is Alec. Do you remember me?_'

Alec bit his lower lip. Did this sound stupid? But it was the only thing he could come up with. Asking about his siblings right away seemed rude.

Quickly, he hit 'send' and prevented himself from chickening out, _again_. With trembling fingers he put the phone down on his thigh and waited nervously. Maybe the warlock wouldn't answer? Alec hadn't tried to contact him before, after all. Or he really hadn't mean anything by giving Alec his number…

'_Crash._'

Alec jumped onto his feet, heart hammering loudly against his ribcage. It was hard to hear anything over the raging rain, but the sound of bursting glass was loud and clear.

_Shit_! How could anything get into the house? Benjamin, who guarded the gates, made sure to leave his dogs at night, so they would alert them of an intruder. And he himself had drawn the runes to close the doors and windows and prevent anyone from entering by force.

Taking a deep breath, Alec reached under his pillow and took out the stele and seraph blade he always kept nearby. Making sure that Max was still asleep, he left the room and closed the door, drawing a new rune to make sure no one would get in. Then, he turned around and swiftly ran down the hallways, his bare feet making no noise on the carpeted floor.

The stone of the staircase was icy cold, a shudder running down his spine. But he didn't stop, rushing down the stairs, and headed for the living room. There, the light was on.

As he got closer, Alec clutched his blade tightly, silently cursing his erratic heart-beat. He shouldn't be afraid or nervous! It wasn't like he had never faced a demon before, which was a task of impossibility since he lived with a family of Shadowhunters.

_Get it together, Alec! Think about keeping Max safe_!

With that thought in mind, Alec forced himself to set one foot after another, entering the room. He caught a movement from the corner of his eyes and instinctively, whirled to the side, seraph blade raised, and rushed towards the intruder.

His body crashed into a taller one causing both of them to fall. A surprised gasp reached his ears, though Alec ignored it and, practically sitting on the other, pressed his blade against the soft skin of a throat.

"Shit, that's sexy – apart from the 'you-killing-me part', darling."

Huh? _That voice_… Puzzled, Alec leaned back a little bit and looked up. His eyes met sparkling yellow ones, his heart skipped a beat. _These eyes_…

"Sorry about that," Magnus grinned as he indicated with his thumb over his shoulder to the broken glass door. "I tried the bell but no one answered. And I couldn't get through the door, pretty strong rune I have to say, but apparently it wasn't that strong over there. So, I broke in."

Alec's mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, but closed right away. God, he should be really angry with that… that _idiot_! Scaring him like that! But looking down at Magnus' form, hair dripping wet and falling into his eyes, black eyeliner smeared all over his cheeks, from tip to toe soaked…

Alec got up and let go of his weapon, blushing furiously. How could one still look so _good_ even though he was a complete mess? And, _God_, why had he been straddling his hips so long without realizing that Magnus was wet?

"Don't be embarrassed," Magnus chuckled while standing up. "I told you – I like how forward you are."

Awkwardly, Alec shifted from one leg to the other. He really wasn't used to all this flirting.

Noticing that Magnus was trembling slightly, Alec raised his hands but stopped mid-air. The warlock surely couldn't understand sign language. And he had forgotten his phone in his room… Hoping that the other would understand, nonetheless, he pointed his forefinger at Magnus and held his right palm in front of himself. Then he rushed into the hallway.

They had a bathroom downstairs, right under the stairwell. It wasn't that huge but closer to the living room – and it had enough towels. Alec didn't even bother to turn on the light, just blindly grabbed a towel resting next to the sink and left.

When he entered the living room again Magnus was inspecting the destroyed glass door, not looking up till Alec was right behind him. He smiled widely and took the towel, immediately starting to rub his hair. "Thanks, darling."

_Again_. Alec could feel his insides tingle pleasantly. Why did Magnus always call him that?

"So, you're sister isn't home, yet?"

Confused, Alec frowned and shook his head. Should Izzy be home?

Seeing his confusion, Magnus smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, she isn't hurt or anything. She called me an hour or so ago and wanted me to make a potion and bring it over. I wanted to come over anyway, so here I am."

Well, he was worried, anyway. Why would Izzy need a potion? What had she been doing?

"What the hell happened here?!"

Talking about the devil…

Isabelle walked over the broken glass shards, wet jacket clutched tightly around herself, and looked around, her gaze flickering towards Alec. She was eying him intently, probably to make sure there were no injuries, and Alec suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Apparently relaxed, Izzy focused on Magnus, one brow raised in question.

Magnus just shrugged nonchalantly. "I had to get in somehow."

For a moment, it looked like Izzy wanted to say something about it but she only sighed. "Do you have the potion?"

Magnus motioned towards the table where, as Alec now noticed, where a small vial was placed. "Though, I'm curious as to why you need it? You look perfectly fine to me."

Izzy opened her jacket and two small balls of fur fell down. Curious, Alec knelt down and inspected them. _Mice_. One of them, the white one came over to him and Alec held his palm towards it, so that it could climb onto it.

"May I introduce?" Izzy said, partly amused and partly exasperated. "Your lovely brother. And Simon." She nudged the other one with her foot.

_Jace_? Shocked, Alec watched the mouse that nuzzled into his palm as if enjoying the warmth of the skin.

"Why am I not surprised?" Magnus laughed.

As if on cue, the mouse looked over to the warlock and if Alec had to determine the expression, he'd say it was glaring.

"Obviously Goldilocks," Magnus chuckled as he knelt next to Alec. "You know, I like you better this way."

"I'm glad someone can laugh at this," Izzy huffed. "Will your potion help them?"

"Well, they were cursed, right?" Isabelle nodded. "Then, it should help – just one or two drops for each of them. The effect will take some time to kick in, but not more than a day. If that won't do them any good, then you should find someone to kiss them."

"Very funny, Bane," Izzy snapped.

"I do what I can." Being the center of Isabelle Lightwood's anger and not one bit fazed – impressive.

Alec caressed Jace's head with his thumb and looked at his sister, questioningly. Izzy got what he meant as she always did and sighed, annoyed. "I don't know exactly, but they somehow angered a faie and her warlock companion."

Jace could have a temper, but Simon? That boy may be sarcastic and at times annoying, but he wasn't stupid.

"Well," Magnus drawled and Alec flinched slightly as his warm breath hit his ear. "You should give them the potion, the earlier the better."

Isabelle stared suspiciously at Magnus but didn't object and took Jace from Alec and Simon into her free hand. She sat them down on the table and grabbed the vial.

"Oh, and by the way." Magnus' lips touched his earlobe making him shudder. "Of course I remember you, beautiful. As if I could ever forget someone as delicious."

Heat rushed into his cheeks, the blush deepening when Magnus pressed his lips against his temple, just for a few seconds. The tingling sensation on the spot where Magnus kissed him lingered for far longer.

"And don't take that much time to write me again," Magnus smirked as he stood up. "I'll cast a spell over your door," he said louder so that Isabelle could hear him, too. "No one will get in, tonight. I'll come over tomorrow, I have something to discuss with you guys, anyway."

Izzy nodded, though she didn't look over. "Fine."

Magnus laid the towel Alec had given him next to Alec's thigh, and winked at him. "See you soon, darling."

Alec watched the warlock leave into the night, it was still raining. It wasn't until Magnus was out of sight that, too, stood up and turned around – only to find Izzy looking at him intently. "So… are you alright?"

Somehow, he knew that this wasn't what she actually wanted to ask. But he was glad that she didn't press the matter with Magnus since he himself didn't understand what it was with him and the other. Not yet. Therefore, he smiled at her.

"Okay." Isabelle wasn't pleased, he could tell by the way she furrowed her brows. "I'll see where these morons can sleep tonight. Maybe I'll find a box for them."

Alec grinned at the outraged expression the mice wore, well, at least he assumed they were outraged. They were cute like that.

* * *

When Alec crawled under his blankets, right next to the still sleeping Max, a little bit later, he caught sight of his phone on the floor, and grabbed it. There was a new message for him and, with a thudding heart, opened it.

'_Sweet dreams, darling_.'

A soft smile tugged at his lips.


	3. Undercover - It's a date

**-pj:** Thank you :) I'm happy you like it!

**-Elfie:** Glad, you like the story :D

**-Shalanora:** Thank you for your lovely review ;)

**A/N:** Well, here's a new chapter for you guys, and a longer one, too :D I'm really amazed about all the response I got for the last one – thanks a lot :) It's Magnus' point of view, again. The Clary-case is progressing, Magnus has a plan and of course, his own interests play some role within said plan ;)

* * *

**Undercover – It's a date**.

"... you most probably used too much. The effect will wear off, eventually, but till then you'll have to live with his over-clinginess. I could help with that, though that'll cost you more…"

Magnus smirked smugly when the line was disconnected, and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. That was the only way to get rid of those annoying customers.

Seriously, it wasn't his problem that this vampire used too much of his 'love' potion and now, her 'boyfriend' was too clingy. The effect of love potions didn't last for long, anyway – he could manipulate the emotions of others with his magic and potions for a certain amount of time, but not temporarily. He was a warlock, not God.

"You, sure as hell, are one sneaky bastard."

Magnus looked over to the person stretched out onto his favorite couch, remote in one hand and a glass of something green in the other. Due to the light emitted by the television screen his face had an almost yellow hue to it instead of its usual green color. "Eavesdropping isn't very polite, Fell. How did you even get in?"

"We warlocks have a talent to get into houses, one way or another, don't you agree?"

He thought back to the previous night, when he had broken into the Lightwoods' mansion, and couldn't keep the smile from his lips. _That_ was definitely true.

"What are you smiling at?" his guest asked curiously as he sat up a little bit.

"Nothing," Magnus brushed it off and walked over to stand in front of the couch. "Why are you here, Ragnor?"

Ragnor eyed him intently as if mulling over how to word what he wanted. "You're still working with the Clave?"

Magnus raised a brow, completely thrown off by the weird question. "You were helping me out with the case, and it was _you_ who got that little information for me, just _yesterday_. Why the hell would I change my mind within a few hours?"

Ragnor shrugged, the uneasiness visible in his features made Magnus frown. "I know, idiot. It's just…" He trailed off, biting his lower lip.

"What _is_ with you?" Magnus demanded, irritated. His friend was a lot of things – annoying, a pain in the ass, tactless – but not hesitant about anything.

"I think you've got yourself in real trouble, this time," Ragnor sighed. "I don't know what exactly is going on, but it's huge. There's someone out there who's working on the downfall of the Clave and from what I got out of my 'informant' this someone isn't alone and extremely dangerous."

"But you don't know _who_ it is?" Hard to believe.

Ragnor glared at him. "You should be thankful for what I got, ass. It was sheer luck that I found this talkative fellow."

Magnus had tried to help the shadowhunters with their investigation in his own way. Ragnor was quite familiar with the downworlder clubs he had listed for Jace, and knew a few people. Two days ago, he came upon a very drunk werewolf who was muttering something along the lines of 'Stupid bitch! Stupid shadowhunter!'

It was a risky shot, but Ragnor went for it, anyway. He had cast a spell over the werewolf, loosening his tongue more – and found out that the mutt knew where Clary was, or according to him the _red-haired bitch_, because he was one of her guards. Well, even warlocks had sometimes more luck than brains.

"Besides," Ragnor continued. "The truth spell isn't an easy one and _terribly_ exhausting."

Taking in Ragnor's appearance more closely, Magnus had to admit that he looked rather drained. "Sorry," he muttered and sat down next to his friend.

"Whatever." Ragnor took a deep gulp from his drink before he focused on Magnus again. "Anyway, apparently the mutt _couldn't_ tell me who he was working for. Whenever he tried to give me a name, he'd start to choke and gasp for air."

_Interesting_. So, whoever kidnapped Clary made sure to stay hidden. But they weren't that smart, as it seemed, otherwise Ragnor wouldn't have found out where Clary was.

"Why aren't the hunters down there, by now?" Ragnor snapped him out of his musings. "Weren't you going to see them as soon as I called you?"

Magnus smirked slightly as he remembered _in what state_ Goldilocks had been the other night. "Oh, I was there but Lightwood was… let's just say, not in the right state for a hunt."

His friend frowned but didn't comment on this. Instead, he nodded as if relieved. "That's actually good. If they had rushed into Pandemonium immediately, it would've been suicide."

"Why's that?"

"Everyone there was talking about some shadowhunters lurking around the area and causing trouble," Ragnor explained. "Apparently, they weren't that subtle in their investigations. So, the security of Pandemonium got doubled, they are checking everyone via magic and whatnot – which is weird. I mean, since when did we ever bother _who_ visited our clubs?"

Shadowhunters weren't that often in downworlder clubs, but _even if_ they were no one ever cared. Therefore, this meant that Clary's kidnappers had some good connections in the underworld, how else could they have increased the security of Pandemonium?

"But that's not all," Ragnor whispered. Was it just his imagination or was the other warlock a bit paler? "It's so weird. There's this strange atmosphere around the club – it's dark and dangerous. And _ancient_."

Magnus hummed thoughtfully. Warlocks were a lot more sensitive to these kind of things – to magic in general. And if Ragnor was that shaken up by whatever energy it was surrounding Pandemonium, it _had to_ be bad.

"Why are you so keen on helping them? The Clave means trouble, and the Lightwoods? They are the epitome of trouble."

He sighed. True, he was getting caught up in this damn case, but he couldn't help it. "Clary's a good kid and… I owe Jocelyn this much." _And so much more_.

"She never wanted you to feel indebted to her," Ragnor pointed out.

"It doesn't matter," he growled. The last thing he wanted right now was a trip down memory lane, especially those painful memories related to Jocelyn Fray.

Ragnor stared at him for a moment, something flickering in his gaze. But he dropped the subject – because he _understood_ Magnus well. "Okay, if you're sure about this. But you guys must be careful: you won't get into Pandemonium that easily. I can't help you 'cause the spell will wear off soon and the mutt will remember my face. Your two hunters and their mundane friend are known, too, by now. And isn't the deadline due, very soon? So, think of something, Bane, quickly."

The deadline for Jace to deliver whatever it was the kidnappers wanted was due midnight. And if he took Ragnor's concerns about this black energy around Pandemonium seriously, than something dangerous was going on and they had to act swiftly, to stop it as soon as possible.

Magnus nodded and stood up, ready to go. He would think about something. "Get your lazy ass out before I come back."

* * *

"Jace's pretty pissed," were to words he was greeted with as soon as the door was opened for him.

Magnus shrugged as he followed Isabelle inside. "When is he not?"

Isabelle smiled at that. "Give him a break, would you? He isn't _that_ bad."

He was about to make a snide comment but stopped himself when his eyes caught sight of his favorite Lightwood sitting on the floor next to a kid. Both looked up from the comic they were reading and Magnus chuckled at the faint red hue on Alec's pale cheeks. He really wasn't sure what was better – to be greeted by that sweet blush or to be greeted like he had been the previous night, without the blade, of course.

"Hello there, darling."

Magnus felt Isabelle's curious gaze on himself, yet didn't turn around to face the girl. Alec nodded slightly, flushed, the corners of his mouth twitched upward into a genuine smile, nonetheless, and the blue of his eyes sparkled in a magnificent way.

"Your eyes are pretty cool," the little boy spoke up, eying him in awe.

"Thanks," he grinned, amused. "I'm Magnus, by the way."

"And I'm Max."

Well, apparently not all Lightwoods were annoying bastards – quite the contrary.

"Bane!"

Talking about bastards.

Goldilocks strode into the room, closely followed by Simon – and Magnus couldn't help but laugh at what he saw. While Simone looked pretty normal, meaning as geeky and awkward as always, Jace seemed to have a little problem… two white, pointy ears were sticking up on his head and his nose was still dark and not-humanly.

"Stop laughing!" Jace hissed, face flushed in embarrassment. "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

"Oh, please. Why would I bother?" Magnus snorted. "The potion's taking more time with you, that's it. And c'mon, you're pretty cute like that."

"I think so, too," Max piped up innocently causing Magnus to smirk wider and even Isabelle to chuckle quietly.

Jace directed his glare towards his brother, though it was a lot softer than before. "Max, Hodge is waiting in the study for you."

Max sighed wistfully, but stood up nonetheless, comic in his hand. He bent down to whisper something into Alec's ear, kissed him chastely on the cheek and left the room.

"Alec-"

"I have something important to discuss," Magnus interrupted Jace, knowing fully well what the other was about to do. "And it'll be best if _everyone_'s present."

Alec blinked, surprised at his words. His siblings, on the other hand, shared uneasy glances.

"He has nothing to do with this," Isabelle said tentatively.

Magnus ignored her and focused his attention on the glass shards behind Alec. He walked over, standing next to the boy, and flicked his wrist, mumbling old words he remembered from long ago but wasn't sure of the meaning, anymore. The tips of his fingers prickled lightly – seconds before the shards flew off the floor and towards where the door had been.

It took just a few moments for the shards to fit together and form the door Magnus had destroyed.

"Why didn't you do that yesterday?"

He turned around, smiling brightly at Isabelle. "'cause I was too lazy."

Granted, Magnus could have waited a bit longer for someone to open the door instead of breaking in, he had rang the bell only two times. But he had been so… _excited_. Alec hadn't written him and there hadn't been any opportunity to go over, leaving him frustrated and on edge for days. It was really ridiculous what kind of an effect that boy had on him after such a short amount of time. And of course, he jumped at the chance to see Alec again – and couldn't wait for anyone to come and open the damn door.

But, it had been worth it, hadn't it? Alec could jump him like that whenever he wanted…

"I really don't want to know what you're thinking right now," Jace muttered as he occupied one of the couches. Magnus mentally agreed with him, he sure as hell didn't want to know about it.

It was Simon who first mentioned the reason Magnus was there, setting his glasses straight on his nose. "Do you have news on Clary?"

Magnus nodded as he sat down next to Alec, their thighs brushing slightly, though Alec didn't seem to mind, according to the small smile tugging at his lips. Jace's pointy ears twitched at that, he noticed, and it would have been cute if not for the scowl on his face. At least Isabelle didn't seem to mind whatever he was doing.

"I know where she is."

That got him everyone's attention. He saw Jace opening his mouth and continued quickly, "She's in Pandemonium, kept under guard."

"So, what are we waiting for?"

Magnus rolled his eyes at Goldilocks. "Because it's not easy to get in. They know that you guys are looking for her. Therefore, they doubled the security and aren't letting _any_ shadowhunter in. Besides, every downworlder there knows what you look like, after your little stunt yesterday."

He looked pointedly at Jace and Simon and at least the latter was decent enough to blush. "They provoked us."

"I don't care," Magnus brushed it off. "What I'm saying is that you three won't get in, at least from outwards."

Isabelle twirled a black lock on her finger, thoughtful. "What are you suggesting?"

_That's it_. Now, he had to make sure that they understood his point. "We need to get you in from the inside."

"So, you'll get in?" Isabelle inquired. "Since you're a warlock there shouldn't be a problem."

"Well, I can't do it alone," he explained. "Every downworlder knows that I occasionally make business with the Clave – the guards will be suspicious." It wasn't his fault that he didn't make any difference between hunters and downworlders. Both parties could pay well. "If I have someone with me, they'll think I just want to enjoy the night. Besides, it'll be easier to get you inside when someone'll distract the bouncer."

"That sounds like a plan," Simon said slowly.

Jace still didn't look convinced. "And who'll go with you? A friend of yours?"

Magnus shook his head. What friend? Ragnor couldn't go and his other trustworthy friends weren't anywhere in reach. His gaze briefly flickered towards Alec, who had been listening attentively – and he could practically _feel_ the air in the room tense.

"Hell, _no_!"

Magnus, startled by the vehemence in both of their voices, looked back at Isabelle, who stood with her hands on her hips, and Jace, who had jumped onto his feet, ears twitching wildly. "But-"

"_No!_" Jace hissed angrily. "We're not dragging Alec into this!"

Said boy blinked confused, before realization hit him. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Magnus, but there was something else shining in them… _Hope_?

"Can't you change our appearances?" Isabelle asked, more calm than her hotheaded brother, though fear laced her voice. "Or find someone else? Take Simon!" Said boy glared at her but kept his mouth shut.

"It's not easy to change appearances," Magnus huffed. "It takes a lot of energy. And even if I _did_, I just told you that they doubled the security! The bouncer will be a professional – he'll sniff you out as hunters within seconds even if you are in disguise. Did you know that once a shadowhunter comes into inheritance, meaning fought his first demon, one can feel and smell their angelic blood? At least, someone skilled can."

That made them shut up, though they weren't happy – and Magnus didn't understand. Sure, he noticed that those two were kind of protective over their brother, but wasn't that a tad bit much? From what he had seen yesterday, Alec wasn't weak or helpless.

Magnus turned around to face the boy, noting that his head hung low. Instinctively, he grasped Alec's chin between his thumb and forefinger, ignoring the slight flinch from the other, and made those amazingly blue eyes look straight into his.

"You have angelic blood, too, but I feel it just faintly. I can cover up the scent. Do you have any runes?"

Alec shook his head, a dark shadow flitting over his features.

"You're not experienced with demons, huh? But unlike Simon, you _can_ defend yourself against danger," he smiled, ignoring Simon's indignant 'Hey!' This elicited a soft smile from Alec, one that made Magnus' insides prickle pleasantly.

"We didn't agree to this!"

"Bastard," Magnus muttered lowly and said, without releasing Alec, louder, "I can't find anyone else, genius, since we are in a bit of a hurry. There's something going on there, something dangerous and if we don't act _now_, I fear what might happen." And he wasn't keen on finding out.

"Something…" At the side of his vision, Magnus saw Jace shift nervously. "The deadline the kidnappers have given me is at midnight."

He knew that, another reason to worry. "You never told me what they demand."

"You don't need to know," Jace answered stiffly.

"You have it, whatever it is, with you, don't you?" Magnus continued.

"Jace!"

Alec's eyes flickered towards his brother as Isabelle whirled around, furiously glaring at him. Jace shrugged, his lips set into a grim line. "I'd do anything for Clary, Iz."

"But-"

"Look, we don't have time for this," Simon interrupted them, and stood between them as if afraid they might attack each other. "I think we should go along with Magnus' plan."

"Good that no one asked you," Jace spat.

_Children_, Magnus thought exasperated. He let go of Alec's chin, though couldn't resist to stroke his cheek, redirecting Alec's focus to himself. His skin was so smooth…

"Why don't we ask you if you're okay with this? I promise, I'll take care of you."

Alec bit his lower lip, fidgeting nervously as all the occupants looked at him expectantly. After a short moment, he nodded and looked at his siblings, determination burning in his gaze. They seemed to have a mutual communication – Jace and Isabelle clearly understanding what Alec was trying to say. Magnus felt a burning sensation at the knowledge how easy they could communicate with their brother, but forced himself not to dwell on it.

"Fine." Isabelle was the first to cave in, though reluctantly.

"Izzy!"

"Jace," Isabelle sighed tiredly. "I'm not happy about this, okay? But we don't have another option. And if everything goes according to plan, Alec won't have to be alone for too long."

Magnus snorted in disbelief. "And with me, he's alone?" He was ignored.

"Think about Clary!"

Jace buried a hand in his blond hair, pulling at it, his expression one of distraught. "I want to save Clary, God knows _how_ much I want it. But I can't risk Alec…"

Alec stood up abruptly and went over to his brother, placing both hands on his shoulder in a comforting manner. Magnus watched the interaction curiously – noticing how Jace's features relaxed and his eyes softened, though he was still tense.

"Okay," he sighed, defeated.

_Finally_. "Good! Isabelle?" Magnus smirked at the girl. "Make sure your brother looks presentable. We'll meet in an hour at the park a block from Pandemonium. You know which one I mean?"

"The descended one," she confirmed.

Pleased, Magnus, too, stood up and as he walked by Alec, he touched his back teasingly. "See you in a bit, darling," he whispered into his ear. "It's a date." Ah, there it was, that sweet blush he adored so much.

Jace, on the other hand, apparently didn't as he growled warningly. "Like hell it is, bastard."

Magnus chuckled. "Good that no one asked you."

* * *

It took them exactly an hour and twenty-two minutes to finally arrive. And _no_, Magnus didn't check his watch every five to seven minutes. And, _boy_, he had to admit that Isabelle had one hell of a good fashion sense – Alec looked _hot_.

The skinny jeans hugged his legs in all the right ways. The short-sleeved shirt wasn't too tight, but tight enough to outline some abs, though they weren't developed that much. The jewelry had something, too. The two silver rings on his left hand and the chain around his throat weren't striking, but they fit. And was that a little bit of black eyeliner? _Hot_.

He knew that Alec was eying him, too, and smirked proudly. In comparison to his _date_ he was more eye-catching, with the colorful, tight clothes and glittered hair. But he was _Magnus Bane_ – it was how he was.

"Stop leering, Sparkly," Jace snapped at him, making him aware of the presence of the other three people with them. All of them were wrapped in coats, Jace's ears hidden by a woolen hat, and he was pretty sure that Isabelle and Goldilocks had their weapons hidden beneath those coats. Simon just seemed out of place – what was he doing here, anyway? It wasn't safe for a mundane.

Alec looked down, hiding his blush while Magnus simply shrugged. "I can admire beauty when I see it."

"Okay, enough," Isabelle sighed exasperatedly. "It's fucking cold and we are in a hurry, remember? So, get started!"

Magnus clicked his fingers, magic prickling and sizzling in his veins. The others couldn't see the faint glow illuminating Alec, but he could and he smiled at it. He couldn't feel Alec's angel blood anymore, instead the boy was covered by _his_ scent. Strong traces of magic lingered on him, it would make everyone believe he was a magical being – a warlock.

Pleased with his work, he started to walk, the Pandemonium not so far away from them. As soon as it was in sight, Magnus was hit by a wave full of something dark, sickening him. He stopped mid-step, his companions doing the same, and furrowed his brows. _Devil_, what _was_ that? His nerves flared in warning, a sinking feeling making his stomach churn.

Now, he understood why Ragnor had been worried. This atmosphere, this energy… it was _disturbing_.

A hand touched tenderly his arm, breaking him from his stupor. When he looked down, he was met by a pair of concerned blue eyes – and forced a reassuring smile onto his lips. _Get a grip on yourself, Bane_.

"You guys wait here," he instructed the others. "Watch the bouncer carefully and when you see that he's distracted, slip in. You'll have just a few seconds to a minute, I can't disturb the magic that'll sense you longer than that." Though, he could feel it bristling at the entrance. "Once inside, you'll have to act swiftly – as fast as possible. Shadowhunter or not, if those downworlders in there attack you, it'll end in disaster."

They nodded determinedly, even Simon who had no idea about fighting. Magnus just prayed that everything would turn out fine.

"Bane," Jace said quietly, staring at him intently. "If Alec gets even a scratch, I'll have your head."

Magnus didn't doubt those words for a second. "Nothing will happen."

"It better not," Isabelle added and she didn't sound any less threatening that Goldilocks. Protective much?

He grasped Alec's cold hand into his own and started to direct him towards the entrance. The line wasn't long, which surprised him as Pandemonium was the most popular club for supernatural beings, in New York.

But as they got closer to the tall bouncer, who was a warlock, apparently, someone Magnus knew, Alec tensed more and more. With his thumb Magnus made soothing motions on the back of his hand, tugging him closer to himself.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." At least, he hoped so. "And this _so_ is a first date, darling."

That got him a blush and a shy smile in return.

"Bane," a gruff voice greeted them, red eyes flitting over Alec curiously. "Haven't seen you here for a while."

Magnus shrugged nonchalantly, his grip on Alec tightening. "Business is stressful, surely you understand, Demetrie."

The bouncer nodded in agreement before he let them pass, though Magnus still could feel him watch them. Inside, there were a lot more downworlders, the dance floor packed and even more figures at the sides, in the shadows. Something was in the air, Magnus knew it, and it wasn't only this sickening energy that was a lot more apparent in here, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"That went well," he whispered to Alec and let go of his hand. Alec looked more than uncomfortable and eyed everyone hesitantly as if fearing to be attacked at any moment. The boy had never been in a club before, this much was obvious. "C'mon, darling. Let's mingle with the crowd a bit – we're being watched. Let them think we're here to party and then we'll get that family of yours in."

He motioned for Alec to follow him as he fought his way through the mass of moving bodies, swatting away a few curious hands in the process, always making sure to feel Alec's presence near him. It wasn't easy, the fucking faeries and vampires and whatnot pushing and trying to coax him into joining their dancing.

_Amateurs_. There was a lot more needed to get Magnus Bane's attention. At least, if you weren't a blue-eyed, sweet blushing beauty.

He sighed in relief when he reached the bar and turned towards his _date_. "That was a lot-"

_Oh, shit_.

Panic shot trough him, so sudden that it made him sick for a moment. There, where Alec should be standing, was _no one_. No uncomfortable Nephilim, edging closer to him.

Magnus looked over to the dancing crowd, cursing himself silently. Great! How could he have lost Alec?! The plan wasn't even set in motion and something already went wrong! He had to find Alec before the poor boy got into serious trouble – he wouldn't be able to live with it, if Alec was hurt. And not only because Jace and Isabelle would behead him for it.

"Next time," he muttered as he plunged back into the dancing mass. "We'll just have dinner – the old-fashioned way."


	4. What a strange first date

**-Shalanora:** Glad you liked the chapter ;)

**A/N:** Well, this chapter is a bit hectic – and might be a little bit confusing at the end, but not too much, I hope. New characters are introduced and Alec is rushing through Pandemonium to find Magnus… but read for yourselves :D

* * *

**What a strange first date.**

They hadn't been in Pandemonium for more than five minutes and Alec already knew one thing for sure: He hated clubs. At least _these_ kind of clubs.

The stench of sweat and alcohol and something else, something metallic penetrated his nose and it was utterly disgusting. And the people around him – did they call _this_ dancing? It was like… like sex! The way everyone was grinding into each other resembled sex just with the clothes still on. Not that he could tell from experience, but it reminded him of it.

He tried not to look and instead focused on following Magnus. Though, that wasn't as easy as is it might have sounded. He could see the warlock in his colorful and glittery glory, he literally stood up from the mass, but it was difficult to walk through these bodies.

At last, Alec reached out to grab Magnus' arm – but found himself pushed sideways rather harshly, and landed into another body.

"Woah, easy there!"

Hands gripped his shoulders and pulled him into the complete opposite direction of where Magnus was headed. Alec's eyes widened in surprise before panic swept over him. _Shit_! He instinctively struggled, trying to get out of the strong hold, his elbow connecting with something hard. There was a gasp near his ear, then he was free and stumbled forwards, turning around to have a look at who had been manhandling him.

"Hey, calm down!"

A brown-haired young man stood in front of him, hands raised to show he didn't mean any harm and a sheepish smile on his lips. Alec doubted that he had even felt the hit, not with those muscles defined by his shirt.

As he looked around, Alec noticed that he wasn't in the middle of the dance floor anymore but in a rather secluded area. It was a bit darker here and fewer people lingered around, none paying any attention to them. And Magnus wasn't in sight.

_Shit_! What the hell was he supposed to do now? Where _was_ he even?

"You alright?" Alec looked back at the idiot who had dragged him away from the dancing mass. The man smiled apologetically at him. "Sorry about earlier. You just… dunno. Seemed like you were having problems moving through the crowd there – unless you were trying to dance?"

Alec shook his head furiously, mortified by the mere thought. Apparently, it showed on his face since the other chuckled amusedly.

"Thought so. Name's Jordan, by the way."

_Good for you_. He couldn't decide whether it was good or not that Jordan couldn't hear his thoughts. Normally, he wasn't a rude person, really, but _this_ guy… He ruined their plan even before it could be set into motion! And now he had no idea where Magnus was or what he was supposed to do.

"Not very talkative, are you?" Jordan inquired, though he didn't sound annoyed by the lack of response. "Well, I saw you come in with Bane."

It was a causal remark – but Alec caught the hint of eagerness and curiosity in Jordan's tone, and immediately tensed.

"Bane hasn't been around for a while," Jordan continued, though his voice was held _too_ neutral, as if he was trying his hardest to keep it that way. "It just seems rather coincidental that he chooses today to show up. And with _such_ company."

Alec pursed his lips, not liking where this was going. Magnus did warn them that they had to be really careful since he was known in this _kind_ of society, in the town, but this Jordan fellow… He _knew_ something, Alec could tell.

"Hey there."

Suddenly, an arm hooked around Jordan's followed by a girl, smiling broadly at Jordan – who leaned down to peck her on the lips. Alec turned his head sideways, feeling his cheeks heat up. Why had they to kiss in front of him?

"So, what're you up to?" the girl asked, her eyes flickering towards Alec.

Jordan followed the gaze – and Alec shifted from one foot to the other, hating it how they scrutinized him. As if he hadn't been uncomfortable enough, before. "Nothing, Maia, just trying to get to know Bane's new _friend_ better."

"Looks quite young," Maia commented. "Though, one can never tell with immortals, huh?"

This conversation was just weird. Alec was rather perceptive – he had learned to read others around him by their facial expressions or any other movements, which had been a necessity because his siblings often tried to hide things from him as to not get him involved in their daily business. And at the moment, he was pretty sure that those two were up to something.

Firstly, Jordan tried to subtly pry about Magnus. And now, his girlfriend, or whatever she was, was eying him with the same curiosity.

"Apparently, he isn't the talkative type," Jordan grunted. "Wonder how someone like you ended with someone like Magnus."

Alec knitted his brows. It wasn't said in a menacing way and he wasn't really _with_ Magnus – but it bothered him, nonetheless.

_Not now. Concentrate. Remember the plan_! he chided himself mentally.

With that thought in mind, Alec whirled around and stalked off. He quickened his pace as he heard Jordan and Maia follow him, and didn't even care when he walked into a more crowded section, ignoring the strange looks he was getting.

Frankly said, he just wanted to get out of here. It wasn't only that he felt totally out of place, but the more he pushed past vampires and pucas and whatnot he could swear that someone was watching him – and it weren't the downworlders around him.

_Where was Magnus_?

The longer his feet dragged him through the crowd, the more difficult it became for him to breathe.

When Magnus first suggested to include him in this plan to rescue Clary, Alec had been surprised, but in a good way. Magnus believed that he could do this, whereas his own siblings doubted him. And it was simply amazing – to know that he was needed.

But right now, he wasn't so sure anymore.

He wasn't used to situations like _this_ and to deal with them by his own. How could he find Magnus? Texting him maybe? But… he didn't know _where_ exactly he was.

_What the…_!

Shocked, Alec jumped, his hands instinctively went to his behind, covering it. Blushing hotly, he came face to face with… _something_. It resembled a man in his mid-twenties, except his skin was purple, or was it just the light?, and were those _four_ arms?

"Why in such a hurry? Sit down and I'll buy you a nice drink, cutie."

Alec shook his head, hell _no_, and stumbled away. If he thought it was hard to breathe before, it was task of impossibility right at this moment.

His hand touched the rough surface of the wall and he paused in his movements, trying to steady himself. The buzzing of the music hurt in his ears and the horrible stench of alcohol, smoke and sweat penetrating his nose made him dizzy. His sight was slightly blurred, too.

He shut his lids closed, not wanting to hear or smell anything, anymore. But he couldn't block out the downworlders passing him by, their voices too loud, too close. His chest tightened at the feeling of being trapped, surrounded by strangers who could easily turn into enemies in a matter of seconds.

_No, no, no. Get a grip! Get a goddamn grip_!

Alec took a deep breath, trying his hardest to calm his rushing pulse. If he panicked, it wouldn't do him any good. Besides, there was no need to. None at all. Right?

_Right_.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, when he noticed something… _something_ that didn't fit into the whole atmosphere of Pandemonium.

_What's that_?

He turned his head a bit, his gaze focused on a rather empty corner at the far end. Without his consent, his feet started to move. He was still steadying himself with, now, both hands on the wall, cautious to leave a decent distance between himself and those he passed.

It was weird, really. The closer he got to that one section, the colder it seemed to get. And – he couldn't explain it, but his nerves were on fire, his heart pumping loudly as if challenging the loud music. _Don't get closer_, everything in him screamed, yet…

_I can't help it_.

As if following an invisible lead, his feet dragged him further, and he couldn't stop. Something dark lurked in here, even in the wall he was touching or the floor he was walking on.

Then his fingers came in contact with cold metal – and he jerked his hand away as if burned. Though, it wasn't just his hand. The fire spread from there through his whole body, setting his insides alight.

Alec bit his lips, hard, but it was nothing in comparison to the burning sensation consuming him. He wrapped his arms around himself, shaking badly, his breath ragged.

What happened to him? _What-_?

He stiffened, involuntarily adding to the pain, as he felt someone right behind him, an arm reaching over his shoulder towards the door.

"You know," this someone, apparently a male, drawled, each word laced with malice, "playing with fire isn't healthy."

Slowly, Alec looked behind him – green or black eyes, he couldn't decipher them, stared back, a dark light glimmering in them. _He couldn't breathe_.

"Alec?"

The sooth voice cut through the stupor he had been in, snapping him out of it. He blinked – and the guy behind him was gone.

Had he imagined that? No, impossible. Even though the burning sensation inside of him made it hard, he could still feel the terror that cold gaze had induced in him.

"Alec?"

Colors entered his vision, completely bringing him back to reality. As soon as the person was close enough, Alec, without thinking much, rushed forwards and flung his arms around Magnus' shoulders, clutching him tightly.

Caught off guard, Magnus stumbled a bit, though was able not to lose his balance. Hesitantly, he returned the embrace – and Alec sighed in relief. The burning had subdued and as he inhaled Magnus' own scent, a mix of apple and citron, burying his nose in the crook of the warlock's neck, the tightness around his heart lessened.

He was still trembling slightly, but it wasn't that bad, and his breathe evened out, slowly.

"Well, it seems like you've made a habit out of jumping me randomly, darling," Magnus chuckled into his hair, the vibration sending a shudder down his spine.

Though blushing furiously because of his embarrassing actions, Alec reluctantly let go of Magnus, yet grasped his hand. The contact gave him more comfort than anything else and he needed it.

Magnus' lips quirked upwards, but his smile had a concerned edge to it. It was even more visible when his gaze flickered towards the door. "Did you touch it?"

He nodded and his grip around Magnus' fingers tightened at the memory of the fire consuming his insides.

Magnus tugged him closer as if knowing what was going through his head. "It's demonic energy. Really strong and ancient, that's why it hurts you. Is it bad?"

Alec shook his head, managing a small smile while lifting their joined hands. Magnus apparently understood the motion and chuckled lowly.

"We should hurry, huh? Those siblings of yours might be plotting how to behead me, by now."

Alec tried hard not to flush at the reminder. Seriously, Jace and Izzy had never been _that_ embarrassing! As if he was a child…

"Come o-"

"_The fuck!_"

They both startled by the high-pitched scream, and simultaneously turned to see what was going on.

The downworlders on the dance floor fled to the right and left, creating a passage in the middle of the room. The music had stopped abruptly, just as the conversations and _other_ noises. Three people emerged, running through the passage, followed by a fourth figure, though that one wasn't in such a hurry.

Alec didn't even have to see the whip in one of those hands, hitting everything nearby, to know who they were. And he cursed mentally – and they had been worrying about _him_?

Magnus groaned next to him. "Why am I not surprised? Morons, always complicating my work."

Well, his siblings were just like that. Idiots.

"Come." Magnus pulled him along, straight towards that damn door. "They saw us, they'll follow. Clary is behind this, I'm pretty sure, so we should act before the enemy does."

Though, he didn't feel that much hesitance as before, Alec was still very uncomfortable with the dark aura around him. Yet, he didn't protest – he _could_ do this.

Magnus flicked his free hand, several tiny sparks emitting from the fingertips. Alec felt the vibration going through his body, then, seconds later, the metal door busted, _literally_. Pieces flew through the air, but not one came anywhere near him, most probably Magnus' doing.

Alec stared in awe at the now large hole. _Impressive_.

But their little show gained them a lot of attention, he realized, though no one tried to stop them.

When they went through the hole and down the stairs that were behind it, Jace, Izzy and even Simon had caught up with them.

"Great fucking plan, Bane!" Jace shouted angrily. "Fucking perfect!"

"I was about to get you in," Magnus growled back. "Ever heard of patience?"

"Would you two just shut up?" Isabelle, thankfully, intervened. "Fighting among us – _later_. Kicking some demon ass – _now_."

When they reached the end of the stairwell, as if on cue, their path was blocked by a huge dog with multiple heads, all growling at them.

Alec swallowed thickly, then took in the rest of the room – he noticed Clary at first. She was unconscious, lying in the middle of a large rune that looked like a triangle and in its middle was another, smaller one the other way around. Nothing he had ever seen before.

At the far end, there stood someone, a darkly glowing figure without a real form. It was nearly transparent – but definitely dangerous. Maybe even more so than the dog-monster.

Across from it were two men, one calmly sitting on a chair, the other leaning against the wall. And he had those dark, cold eyes.

Subconsciously, he tightened his grip around Magnus' hand while his own touched his hip, seeking comfort from the seraph blades hidden under the cloth.

The eyes were the only thing visible from the guy, he noted, the rest of his face, even his hair was covered. It would have been a really amusing sigh if the guy hadn't been emitting these dangerous vibes.

The one sitting, and older man, glanced towards the other, a hint of nervousness in his gaze – making it obvious that _he_ wasn't in charge here.

"So," the green-eyed guy drawled. "I presume that you won't hand us the item, Jace?"

Jace huffed. "Whatever gave you that impression?"

_Good going, just provoke him_, Alec thought exasperatedly. It wasn't like these guys had the upper hand or anything, no.

Though, they seemed relatively unfazed. "Too bad that I want it."

Apparently, that was some secret signal because both, Jace and Izzy, rushed forwards, attacking the huge dog.

"You know, just for the record," Magnus sighed. "These two are idiots. And I'm not going to help them."

"That's reassuring, really," Simon muttered quietly.

Alec paid no mind to either of them, watching his siblings fight. He had seen them fight before, but that had been training, nothing serious. But the training had been worth it, as it seemed – their movements were quick, yet elegant. While Jace attacked the beast directly, aiming for the heads, Izzy lingered in the background with her whip, striking whenever an opening occurred.

"Darling," Magnus whispered into his ear, demanding his attention. "I'll take care of those two guys, Simon and you get Clary."

Alec indicated to the motionless shadow, questioningly.

He could feel Magnus tense momentarily. "He's just a spirit. If he wanted to interfere, he would've done it by now, believe me."

Magnus let go of his hand – and he immediately longed for the lost warmth – before he turned to his targets. Alec would have waited and made sure that the warlock didn't have any problems with them, but the urgency in his earlier words made Alec move.

Simon must have heard what Magnus said as he followed him, the fear present in his features. Yet, it didn't prevent him from walking deeper into danger's den – and Alec had to admit that for a mundane, he had quite some courage.

It was easier to get past the dog than it had seemed, since Jace and Izzy distracted him really well. They had just to dodge its tail once – it destroyed the floor where it hit it.

Alec's feet touched the black line of the outer triangle, he shuddered involuntarily at the icy coldness shooting through his leg. Could Simon feel this, too?

"Now, not so fast."

The green-eyes guy was kneeling next to Clary, blocking their way. Surprised, Alec looked over to Magnus only to find him engaged with the old man, who wasn't sitting anymore. Both of their hands were releasing energy, blue and yellow, aiming at each other while trying to avoid the attacks. It was a completely different kind of fighting than his siblings were doing – and more fascinating.

Nonetheless, Alec forced himself to focus back to the guy in front of them, who was tossing a dagger up and down in his hand above Clary's chest. Simon hissed lowly, shaking with fury.

"We weren't planning on hurting her, you know?" the other said, addressing only Alec. "But if Jace insists on being difficult…" He grasped the dagger at the hilt, its tip directed at Clary's throat.

Alec didn't think for long – he took his blades and threw one of them at the dagger. The clash of metal against metal was swallowed by the bellows and whimpers of the dog and the sizzling noises of magic hitting magic.

His opponent seemed to be surprised for a moment, staring at his dagger that was lying outside the triangles. When he looked back at him, there was something akin to amusement lightening what was visible of his features – it made Alec sick to his stomach.

"Not a warlock, after all, huh? I had been wondering for a while…"

Swallowing down his nervousness, Alec gripped his seraph blade tightly, positioning himself into a defensive stance as the other stood up. He could do this. He _could_.

"Why don't I have a weapon?" Simon muttered, apparently annoyed at his own helplessness – Alec could sympathize.

Though, as Alec thought the guy was about to attack, something flew over him, crashing directly into the guy's body. He caught the glimpse of a man baring his teeth, a deep, angry growl emitting from his mouth.

Alec blinked, confused, and loosened his tensed stance. A… werewolf?

"Demons have swamped the Pandemonium!" a familiar voice shouted from behind them. "Bane, get us outta here!"

_Maia_? Yeah, running down the stairs was said girl, closely followed by Jordan. Alec frowned, where they _helping_ them?

Shaking his head, Alec made his way towards Clary, kneeling down and immediately checking for a pulse. He sighed relieved when he found one. Although Clary was sickly pale, she didn't seem to be injured, at least not physically.

"Is she alright?"

Alec looked up, meeting Simon's concerned eyes, and shrugged before nodding. He was no doctor, but Clary seemed to be just exhausted.

After this, everything happened too fast.

Jace was suddenly by them, limping, an ugly gash marring his flawless face, and scooped Clary into his arms. The room was filled with various creatures, one more disgusting than the other, hissing and scratching and all kind of sounds reaching his ear.

Izzy was tugging at him arm and dragged him forwards to a bright, glimmering hole. Magnus was standing in front of it, arms raised, while Jace with Clary, Maia, Jordan and the werewolf jumped past him.

When Alec risked a look over his shoulder, he was met with a glowing look – from the formless shadow in the background, who wasn't disturbed by the chaos around it. Was it just his imagination or did the thing _smirk_ in his direction?

"Come on, darling!"

Magnus grabbed his other arm and they jumped right after Simon through the hole.

As his world began to spin, his last thought was – _What a strange first date_.


	5. Our own language

**-Guest:** Thank you for leaving a review :) I'll definitely keep posting - I hate it to abandon stories ;)

**A/N:** Hello guys!

I missed an update last week, sorry for that, but school's keeping me pretty busy, sadly. Anyway, here's the new chapter, a bit long, but enjoy it ;)

* * *

**Our own language.**

"Are you alright?"

Alec blinked at him dazedly, though nodded and grasped the offered hand to drag himself to his feet. He was a bit pale around the nose but otherwise didn't seem to be injured.

"You know," Isabelle, who was still sprawled on the floor, huffed, "You could help a lady first or at least _now_."

Magnus winked at her. "I could but why should I? You have two healthy feet, get up."

"And Alec doesn't?" she countered, but sat up, nonetheless.

He wound his arm around said boy's shoulders, chuckling at the blush it earned him in return. "Well, your brother is an entirely different case."

"_Fuck_, get off! You're crushing Clary!"

The corners of Magnus' mouth twitched into an amused smirk as he stared at the scene. Where there had been once a really nice looking table in the Lightwoods' living room, there was now a heap of buddies, the table crushed under the weight. Pitiful groaning and cursing was heard and he had a hard time stifling his laughter.

It took a moment for the angry words to reach the concerned ones – then, everyone scrambled of, mumbling apologies, well, at least Simon was as he coughed embarrassedly. The other two, Maia and Jordan, Magnus had recognized a while ago, didn't seem to be bothered.

"It's not as if we did it on purpose," the girl said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, you'll live," her boyfriend added.

Jace, who had been lying underneath all of them, stood up from his protective position over Clary and when he took out his arms from under her back, Magnus could see the blood covering them.

"Let me help." The man who had been standing at the side until now walked forwards and picked Clary up before Jace could, and placed her on one of the sofas around.

"Did Ragnor call you?" Magnus asked the man curiously.

"Wait, you know them?" Isabelle wanted to know, stepping next to him.

"Of course." He nodded towards the man who let Jace take his place besides Clary. "That's Luke Garroway, leader of the local werewolf pack and Clary's step-father."

Apparently, Isabelle hadn't met him before, but Jace probably did seeing how relaxed they both were around each other. Magnus was surprised that Luke was here – sure, he had informed him about Clary's sudden disappearance a few days ago after he got a hold of him, but he hadn't been anywhere near New York at that time.

But the man did love Clary as he would his own flesh and blood and after Jocelyn's demise two years ago, what did he have left of his family? Therefore, it wasn't that surprising that Luke abandoned whatever business he was preoccupied with for Clary.

"And those two," he continued, indicating to Maia and Jordan. "Are members of his pack, Maia and Jordan."

"And these are the infamous Lightwoods, huh?" Maia smiled, then her gaze fixed on Alec and amusement sparkled in her eyes. "Hello, again. Hope, you won't run away this time."

Confused, Magnus looked between those two, noting how embarrassed Alec seemed to be. Though, even if he had wanted to inquire further, Jace didn't let him. "If your stupid introductions are over, could you check on Clary?"

_Bastard_. He reluctantly let go of Alec and stepped towards Clary, pushing Goldilocks out of the way none too gently. "Of course, no need to ask so nicely!"

Clary looked fine, paler than normal but fine – outwardly. His hands hovered over Clary's body, a faint green light glowered underneath them as his magic stretched out and searched Clary's inside for any kind of harm.

Faintly, he heard that Luke told Jordan and Maia to leave since they weren't needed anymore. Isabelle left, too, to fetch a first aid kit, and dragged poor Simon with her. Alec was also gone, Jace asked him to look after Max. What a lame excuse to get his brother to leave them.

"She's fine," he announced after some minutes, retracting his hands. "No injuries, she's just exhausted." _Thank God_.

"That's good." Jace lifted Clary's head, sat down on the sofa and placed it in his lap, absentmindedly stroking her red hair.

Magnus smiled slightly at the rare display of affection from the shadowhunter. He really did care for Clary, as it seemed. Then, his attention focused on Luke who was smiling, too, his features softened. "You never answered my question."

The werewolf shook his head as if to get rid of some thoughts, and sighed quietly. "Yeah, Fell caught me and told me what you guys were up to. I sent Maia and Jordan since they were closer than me."

Well, it was good that he decided to join them, too. Magnus appreciated the extra help.

"And Magnus?" Luke smiled at him a genuine smile. "Thanks. A lot."

Magnus just nodded – there was no real reason to thank him for anything. It had been his job and Clary was, in a strange way, his responsibility, at least to some extent. Besides, there were other matters that required to be brought up, and now was the perfect time, wasn't it?

"So, Goldie," he drawled, "You still not gonna tell me what those creeps wanted?"

Jace stiffened momentarily, though didn't look up once. "Doesn't matter anymore."

He regarded the boy thoughtfully, wondering why the hell the clave was being that secretive about this whole situation. On another hand, why did he bother? His job was done, he shouldn't care what else there was. Right?

The transparent image of that shadow standing on the sidelines flitted through his mind – he shuddered involuntarily. He wasn't sure what this had been, neither could he tell for sure what that weird rune Clary had been laying in was for – though, it did look familiar to him – but it definitely wasn't good news. That whole basement had been radiating off dark and dangerous vibes.

Yet, what could he do if Jace was being stubborn? Maybe he should stop prying. He shouldn't stuck his nose in hunter business and if they needed his help, they'd come to him, or if he believed he should intervene, he would.

"I want to take her upstairs," Jace's quiet words broke through the tense silence in the room.

"Shouldn't I check your injuries, too?" Magnus asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jace snorted, rolling his eyes. "No need. It's nothing."

_Sure isn't_, Magnus thought sarcastically. But, well, if the jerk didn't want his help it was his own fault.

Luke stepped forward and scooped Clary up, following Jace out and leaving Magnus alone to mull over the things that happened that night.

* * *

"So, you got a thing for Alec?"

Magnus' head snapped up and he looked over to Isabelle standing in the doorway, first aid kit in her hands. She was eying him curiously with a hint of caution. He smiled at the girl. "Whatever gave you that impression?"

Isabelle's mouth quirked upwards. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you flirt constantly with him? Or that you can barely keep your hands off of him? Or the way you look at him?"

"Guilty in all ways," he chuckled amusedly. And he wasn't ashamed about it – why should he be?

"And how serious are you?"

That made Magnus halt, frowning slightly. The question caught him off guard – he hadn't thought about it himself, yet. He found Alexander attractive, quite so, and as far as he had seen Alec was a sweet guy. Besides, the boy had been constantly on his mind the past days… There hadn't been any room to think about _anything_, really.

And this was Alec's sister asking him. He had already seen how protective she was of Alec. If he gave her the wrong answer, it sure as hell wouldn't end well for him. But what did she expect him to say?

"I don't know him that well," he admitted quietly. "But on a scale from one to ten I'd say eight."

Isabelle regarded him skeptically. "That's much considering that you don't know him."

Magnus shrugged, his lips turned into a sincere smile. "Well, sometimes you meet people and… it just seems to _fit_, you know?"

That could have been a line from the corniest film in Hollywood – and, as unbelievable as it sounded, he meant it. Alec was still somewhat of a stranger to him, but it didn't feel like it when they were together. It was easy to interact with Alec, and whenever the boy smiled at him his dimpled smile Magnus felt proud and warm to have earned such a reaction.

He might be a flirt and did have quite the history with exes, but when he was interested in something or some_one_ he definitely was serious. And Alexander Lightwood had caught a lot more than his interest, as it seemed.

"Woah." Isabelle's muffled laughter brought Magnus out of his thoughts. The girl was trying not to laugh, though unsuccessfully, and shook her head as she noticed his confused look. "You should have seen your face right now! You got it pretty bad."

Magnus blinked, still irritated. "And you're okay with that?"

"More than that," Isabelle chuckled. "I mean, I'm still not one hundred percent sure… but who am I to try to stop you from whatever you want to do? Besides, maybe Alec needs this – you're not alone with your crush."

Well, he had noticed but it was good to have it confirmed that he wasn't alone with his attraction.

"You need a helping hand?" Isabelle nodded towards his forehead and when he felt the area it hurt a little bit. "I can't use an iratze on you." So, that was why she was carrying this kit around.

"It's nothing," he shrugged it off. "Besides, I'm a warlock, remember? I can heal myself."

The slight red tint on Isabelle's pale cheeks indicated that she had forgotten that detail. "Of course. I'll check on Jace, then." She turned around, though paused in her steps, making Magnus alert. "We'll visit you tomorrow, give you your payment."

Magnus was about to decline since he hadn't intended to gain money from this job, but stopped himself. The way Isabelle said _we_… did she mean…?

"You should be aware of something, Magnus: _Being_ with Alec isn't easy. If you're serious about him, then I really hope you'll stay serious _after_ you get to know him better."

Magnus stared after the girl, not sure what to make of her words. Was that a warning? Or more like a threat?

_Being with Alec isn't easy_.

What did that mean? Was there something wrong with Alec? W-

His train of thought was interrupted when, suddenly, bright blue filled his vision. Alec had taken the spot his sister had been standing earlier, smiling hesitantly at him, that small tilt of his lips lightening his whole face up.

Magnus felt his own expression softening as dizzying warmth rushed through his veins.

What was easy in life? Nothing, especially not those things that were… "_Worth it_."

* * *

_Shit_!

The glass Magnus had been clutching slid off his hands and burst into several tiny pieces when it hit the floor. He didn't care, instead he threw the book laying on the desk in front of him through the room, hearing a low 'thump' seconds later.

Sighing in frustration, he touched his temples, grimacing at the sweat glistening on his skin. He was beyond exhausted since he had been trying spells after spells for the whole morning, and still, he couldn't bring himself to stop. He _didn't want_ to, not until he had what he wanted.

Ragnor would have told him what an idiot he was being wasting his energy like that, but then again, what the hell did Ragnor know? Although, truth to be told he didn't know much, himself.

With a loud groan, Magnus slumped down on his chair and buried his face into his hands. Why was he trying so hard, anyway? He should take a break, relax a bit. _Why_ couldn't he, though?

As he looked up, his gaze fell on his phone and without thinking he reached for it, the message from last night still blinking brightly on his display.

'_Sweet dreams. – A_'

That was _why_.

Throughout yesterday, Magnus had realized two things: One, Alexander Lightwood had him wrapped tightly around his little finger. Two, he couldn't communicate with Alec like his siblings could and it bothered him greatly.

Sure, he could use sign language, though he would have to freshen his knowledge since it had been a while he had learned it. But sign language… it just didn't work for him. It was so _ordinary_ - and he needed something _special._ Something worthy of Alexander.

Therefore, he had looked through each book he possessed in hope to find anything useful. He couldn't give Alec back his voice, which didn't surprise him that much – even magic had its limits. Mind-reading wasn't that ideal since that would mean to invade Alec's privacy, and Magnus couldn't do such a thing.

It was really frustrating that he was in possession of a whole library filled with old books with spells and potions and all that and wasn't able to find _anything_!

And Isabelle and Alec could arrive at any moment.

A deep meow brought him out of his thoughts and as he searched for the source of the sound, he found a pair of slit eyes staring calmly at him. It belonged to a ball of fur that rested lazily in a corner of the room, watching him as it seemed.

"What, Chairman?" His cat simply stared at him as if saying "_Are you really that stupid_?" Magnus pursed his lips in annoyance. Seriously, now he was being made fun of by his own cat? How pathetic was that? Okay, he knew that Chairman was a smart cat and the way he watched him – he was trying to say something.

_Maybe_… Magnus frowned slightly before he grabbed the book about '_Manipulating the mind_'. If he couldn't find a spell that already existed, then maybe he could make one himself. He just… A small smile tugged at his lips as he found the site that explained how the mind-reading spell worked.

This could be it – inventing a spell of his own wasn't new to him, after all. _It could work_!

* * *

Nearly three hours later, Magnus was standing in front of his door, annoyed to have been interrupted. Well, actually he had been sleeping in the uncomfortable chair in his study – but he was someone who enjoyed his sleep.

"Who _the fuck_ dares to disturb me right now?!" he repeated after he didn't get an answer the first time he had asked. If this was some sort of prank, then devil help whoever was pulling it off!

Just when he was about to turn around and ignore any more ringing, his phone in his hand vibrated loudly. Looking down, he noticed a new message.

'_It's me. Alec._'

"Shit!"

Cursing silently, Magnus let Alec in and waited for the other to come up. _God_, why was he so damn stupid?! He knew whom he was expecting today, how the hell could he have forgotten? And, _shit_, what would Alec think of him now? He should really work on his manners regarding how he greeted everyone at his door.

He could practically see Ragnor's triumphant smirk and hear him say "_Told you_." Well, no, he'll only greet Alec nicely, that was for sure.

There was a hesitant knock on his door, although it was open, before Alec entered, wrapped in a thick black coat and shivering slightly. His hair was a tousled mess and his cheeks were tinted red from the cold.

Magnus smiled at the boy's ruffled appearance, but halted when he noted how concerned Alec stared at him. It took him a few seconds to realize _why_.

Chuckling quietly, he ran a hand through his hair. Damn, he had to look _horrible_! "Sorry about that, I, uh, was working on something."

Alec knitted his brows, head titled to the side as if trying decipher whether Magnus was telling the truth or not. _Cute_.

"Come in." He stepped to the side, making room for Alec while trying not to reach out for the boy as he passed him, and closed the door behind him. "You're sister didn't come with you?"

Alec shrugged nonchalantly. Obviously, she didn't, what a stupid question! But where was she? From what Magnus had gathered, neither Isabelle nor Jace were comfortable with Alec being somewhere on his own, especially in a place with downworlders. Maybe she was waiting outsides?

_To give us some privacy_, he realized and couldn't stop himself from smirking. What a cunning girl.

"You can sit down there." He motioned toward his living room and walked past it himself. "I'll get you some hot chocolate."

_I don't know if he even likes hot chocolate_. Magnus grimaced as he stared at the warmed brown liquid he had prepared this morning and filled it into a cup. Maybe he should have asked… But Alec did look like someone who would enjoy hot chocolate. And he would have tried to stop Magnus if he didn't, wouldn't he?

"What's wrong with me?" he muttered quietly while grabbing the cup and exiting the kitchen. He was _Magnus Bane_ the epitome of _confidence_! Why was he so unsure about what to do when it concerned Alexander?

_I've lost it, simple_.

As soon as he stood in his living room, Magnus paused mid-step, surprised by the image that was presented to him.

Alec was sitting on a cushion, his coat hung carelessly over a chair revealing a nice blue sweater that matched his eyes. Chairman Meow was laying on his lap, purring contentedly as Alec stroked him behind the ears. And he was smiling in that special way… that way that made his whole face light up – like the sun breaking through dark clouds.

Magnus felt his own mouth twitch upwards softly, his heart shooting with each beat a wave of warmth through him. He wished he could capture that moment for eternity.

As if sensing him staring, Alec looked up and directly at him, still smiling warmly.

"I see you've met Chairman Meow."

Alec lifted a brow, his expression one of bewilderment. Well, that name _was_ strange, Magnus admitted.

"He likes it," he said defensively.

Amusement sparkled in Alec's eyes and the mesmerizing sight made Magnus relax, forgetting his prior thoughts about how he could do something wrong with that boy. It _wasn't_ possible.

He walked closer and placed the cup in Alec's free hand, before sitting down on the edge of the table next to Alec. "So, you're here for my payment?" When Alec nodded slowly, Magnus shook his head. "I didn't demand any for this case."

Confusion marred Alec's features and it was such a memorable picture – with Alec still stroking Chairman, the other hand clutching his cup filled with hot chocolate and the slightest blush covering his cheeks… _Focus, Bane, focus_!

"Can I have your hand?"

Magnus smiled at Alec's hesitance and ignored Chairman's evil eye when Alec stopped petting him and placed his fingers in Magnus'. They weren't cold anymore – and surprisingly soft.

"I have been working on something," he explained. "A, well, a spell of some sort. I'm not sure if it'll work because I invented it recently, but I'd like to try. It'll-" Magnus stopped himself, unsure how to word what he wanted to say. Maybe… maybe Alec would think of him as a creep since he was doing all this for someone he barely knew.

_Although, that's not quite true. I'm doing it out of selfishness_.

But one look into Alec's patient, yet curious face was enough for him to continue. "It'll let you communicate with me without sign language."

Alec's eyes widened in surprise and disbelief, his whole body tensed.

"You don't have to do it," Magnus hastily put in. _I'm such an idiot_. "I just thought it'd be nice, you know?"

Several minutes passed in awkward silence, and Magnus cursed himself inwardly for his stupidity. Then, unexpectedly, Alec's fingers intertwined with his, a small smile playing around the corners of his mouth. The relief that flooded through him at this gesture was so immense that Magnus didn't even notice that he was grinning stupidly in response.

"Okay," he whispered and closed his lids. As his lips formed ancient Latin words, chanting them like a lullaby, he concentrated a great amount of his energy in his hand. It sizzled like electricity as it left his body and entered Alec through the tips of his fingers – leaving him light-headed and a bit dizzy.

Sharing your magic was considered an act of intimacy. Something, Magnus hadn't done in a long, long time – but he didn't regret it. It felt amazing and for a few moments they were connected with each other, he could _touch_ Alec's souls, feel the whirlwind of different emotions coursing through him… and he loved it.

It was like a cool breeze on a hot summer day, or the warm embrace of a loved one on a cold winter's night.

Then, as the last word left his lips, the rush of energy stopped suddenly, their connection broke off. Magnus inhaled deeply, trying to ignore how weak and disappointed he felt. He blinked and stared into a depth of glazed blue, filled with wonder and fascination.

"So." He smiled slightly. "If you want to tell me something, you have to touch me and _think_ it directly at me as if you're saying it." This was the best he was able to come up with. Mind-reading had been out of option and if Alec would talk to him through his thoughts, it would cost him a lot of energy – more than a human had. Not to mention how difficult it was to give someone that kind of power, someone who wasn't magical. But when Alec touched him, he would have a direct connection with him and could use some of Magnus' energy to transfer his thoughts to him. "Want to try it?"

A shadow of fear flitted over Alec's face and Magnus could sympathize – his own heart beat so fast that he feared it would burst through his chest. Doubts were nagging at him in the back of his mind, but he ignored them, his whole attention focused on Alexander.

Alec bit his lower lip, apparently contemplating the information, before he squeezed Magnus' hand tightly and furrowed his brows in concentration.

"_Does it work?_"

It was a weird sensation having someone talk into your mind, although _talk_ wasn't the right description it was more like he could _feel_ the words – but Magnus couldn't care less. It _worked_! Laughter bubbled in his throat and before he could stop himself, he was laughing loudly, relief and happiness mixed in that sound.

"You bet it does, darling!"

This earned him a shy smile in return. "_You should laugh more often_." Alec's whole face burned red as soon as he thought this and Magnus couldn't resist. He brought Alec's hand up and pressed his lips tenderly to the knuckles, marveling at how warm the skin was.

"Thanks, darling."

They remained in that position for a while, until Chairman Meow meowed in annoyance and jumped from Alec's lap, hissing in Magnus' direction and leaving the room.

"Possessive bastard," Magnus chuckled amusedly.

"_I should go, too_."

Magnus frowned disappointedly as he looked at Alec. "Why?"

The boy smiled in amusement. "_Izzy's waiting for me. She's in that café around the corner_."

"I like your sister," Magnus announced. "She knew I didn't want any money and made you deliver it, anyway."

"_W-what_?" Alec pursed his lips, it probably meant to look annoyed but the blush spread across his cheeks ruined it.

"You know what?" He smirked mischievously, his grasp around Alexander's hand tightening. "I'll let you go but under one condition."

Suspiciously, Alec frowned. "_What?_"

_Gotcha_. "You'll go on a proper date with me!"

Alec's mouth opened in surprise as if he couldn't believe his own ears. But there was something else in his expression… hesitance? Fear? Magnus couldn't pinpoint it and it was gone so fast that he wondered if it had been his imagination.

"_Okay_."

"Wonderful!" He grinned widely, proud of what he had achieved. "But you should drink your chocolate before you leave. Your sister'll understand, I'm sure."

Alec shook his head fondly, but didn't complain.


	6. Talking without words

**-Elfie:** Thank you, glad that my story could surprise you and that you like it ;)

**-Ice-Rose:** First of all, thanks for reviewing nearly every chapter :D And I'm really glad that my story could help you get through exams ;)

**A/N:** Well, that chapter turned out to be longer that originally intended... But I didn't want to cut or split the end, so yeah ;) Thank you all for reviewing and also for favorising and following this story – it really amazes me how many of you are reading this :D

Enjoy this chapter and the Malec-date :)

* * *

**Talking without words**.

Alec couldn't keep the smile off his face, though not that he tried very hard. Of course, Izzy had noticed his extremely good mood, but had refrained from commenting on it, yet. He could feel her lingering gazes on himself and merely ignored them, still a bit miffed about what had happened.

Sure, he was happy to have had a bit time alone with Magnus, but Izzy could have given him a little warning! Apart from the fact that he wasn't the most social person – his family and Clary were the only real interpersonal relationships in his life – he _liked_ Magnus. It was bad enough that he wasn't good with people in general, but someone he actually liked? A lot?

If Izzy had warned him beforehand, he could have mentally prepared for that meeting.

_On the other hand, I would've still been as awkward as always_.

Besides, his time with Magnus had gone more than well, despite his awkwardness.

Absentmindedly, Alec stared at his hand, the one that had clutched Magnus', feeling it ting even now. At the memory what the warlock had done for him, what he could do by only _touching_ Magnus, his cheeks heated up.

"Well, well, well." Isabelle hooked an arm around his, grinning up at him brilliantly. "That look on your face tells me more than a thousand words, you know that, right?"

Alec smiled benignly, giving her a pointed look. _That's nothing new for you, is it_?

As if knowing what he thought, she just shrugged. "So, what happened? Did you kiss? Or... _more_?"

Alec tripped over his own feet, disengaging himself from Isabelle's grip and barely catching his balance. Lips parted in disbelief, he glared at her, though the glare lost its effect due to the hot blush covering his face.

He loved his sister, really, but why was that girl so _blunt_? Who would like to know something like _this_ from their brother? Modesty was a virtue – and it was modest no to ask anyone such intimate things!

_But, then again, why am I surprised?_

Isabelle laughed heartily, apparently highly amused by his reaction, her laughter echoing in his ears. And despite the fact that he wanted to stay annoyed at her, he couldn't keep the warm smile from his lips at the pleasant sound. When did they, precisely meaning her and Jace, have the time to laugh so freely in between demon hunting and managing everyday life as Shadowhunters?

"Sorry!" Izzy said between gasps before she latched back onto his arms and dragged him along the nearly deserted street, still chuckling. "Don't worry, I won't pry, dearest brother of mine! Stolen moments shared with your precious person are your personal secrets and should stay as such, right?"

_Stupid_, Alec thought fondly. A major trait of Isabelle was her curiosity – bus she never tries to get something out of him when he clearly didn't want to share.

"But you can answer me that: You really like him, don't you?"

Alec mulled over that question, wondering what exactly she was expecting from him. Wasn't it obvious that he liked Magnus? And how couldn't he? Sure, Magnus was a man, but Alec had gotten over his sexual orientation by now (though, it had taken him _years_ to admit it to himself, let alone his siblings), with the help of his family, well the part of the family that _was_ there.

He might have had one or two crushes over the the years, but that hadn't been the same as with Magnus. The warlock was sweet and he didn't baby him like everyone else did, he trusted that Alec could hold his own, as he had shown during the ordeal in Pandemonium.

But if not all of this, then the fuzzy feeling in his stomach and the tingling every touch of Magnus left on his skin should be enough indication – yes, he _really_ liked Magnus Bane.

Izzy had caught that sentiment quite fast, though. And Alec wasn't someone who got attached easily. Actually, it was quite hard for him to let someone new into his life – it had taken him _forever_ to accept Clary!

Therefore, he nodded slowly but with conviction, letting Isabelle decide what to do with that information.

"That's good," his sister murmured softly. "There's something with you two... I can't explain it but I'm pretty sure it's good."

Instinctively, Alec squeezed Izzy's hand in a silent thanks. Jace, clearly, wasn't too thrilled about Magnus' advances, if one could call them that, therefore it was nice to have at least Izzy's support.

"When are you going to see him again?"

In answer, Alec pulled out his phone from his pocket and showed her the text message Magnus had sent him as soon as he left the warm comfort of his apartment.

'_Tomorrow, 6 p.m – sounds good?_'

Izzy whistled loudly, impressed. "A date? Not bad, Alec."

Alec really didn't know if he should be embarrassed or offended that she was so surprised by this. So, he had a date, what was the big deal?

_It _is_ a big deal, actually_, an inner voice reminded him mockingly. He pursed his lips in distaste, especially since it was true – he hadn't ever had a date with anyone. But to his defense, he had been brought up sheltered and pretty isolated from most of the world. There hadn't been any opportunities to meet another guy and definitely not to arrange dates.

"Where are you guys going?"

Frowning slightly, Alec shrugged. Come to think of it, Magnus never told him if and what he planned.

Izzy rested her cheek against his shoulder, humming in thought. "Well, tell him to meet you _outside_ our home. I am not one for secrecy and shit, but it wouldn't be beneficial for Jace to find out, at least not yet."

_Figures_. Although he couldn't understand why Jace disliked Magnus that much, he knew that his sister was right. Jace wouldn't take the news of him and Magnus going out well, and as much as he hated to keep secrets from his brother, he hadn't any options right now. Therefore, he nodded.

"Good," Izzy smiled, and when she lifted her head her eyes were twinkling mischievously. "And ask Magnus what you should wear!"

Alec barely kept himself from grimacing. That look... he shuddered. It never meant anything good. But before he could protest, Izzy suddenly averted her attention from him, still smiling brightly. "Hello Ben!"

Confused, Alec followed the direction she was staring at only to note that they were already at home. Benjamin, the guard, nodded in greeting, his features relaxed as if he had been tense for quite a while. "Isabelle. Alexander."

"Everything fine?"

Ben smiled at her warmly. "Yes. What about you? Enjoyed your coffee?"

"Definitely!" She wiggled her eyebrows at Alec, who instantly dropped his gaze to hide his flushed face. _Evil witch_.

"That's good," Ben replied, oblivious to the little exchange between the siblings.

* * *

"Would you stop that already?!"

Bright laughter drifted from the kitchen towards the hallway, followed by Jace's agitated voice. Curious, Alec walked into the room, Izzy in tow, only to find Jace hunched in his chair, arms childishly crossed over his chest while Clary was stroking his mouse-ears, chuckling delightedly.

It was funny that Jace's nose was normal again, yet the ears stayed, though they were a lot shorter than the day before.

Clary looked over at them when she noticed them approach, and smiled broadly. "Isn't he cute?"

"We told him so, too," Izzy agreed gleefully.

Jace simply glared at her.

Alec shook his head fondly, before directing his attention to the red-head – her skin had gained its normal color back and she seemed to be in high spirits. Nonetheless, he brought his hands up and started to form signs, careful to be slow since Clary was still learning sign language. It still baffled him that the girl wanted to learn it, in the first place.

'_How are you?_'

Clary's posture tensed, her expression turning sombre, even though she kept smiling. "Fine, just... a bit shaken, I guess."

Hesitantly, Alec glanced towards his brother, who shrugged, but the anguish in his features spoke a lot. "She can't remember much of what happened. It's as if someone blocked her memories."

Of course, that _was_ a reason to be worried. As far as he knew, the Clave was pestering Jace non-stop about Clary and her kidnapping. They wanted information, details about what exactly happened and what the kidnappers' intentions were. And Jace was probably the one who was most interested in all this, but what could they do, anyway?

"Stop being so gloomy," Clary huffed, rolling her eyes. "What's happened, has happened. We can't do much except wait for those creeps to strike again."

Isabelle pinched one of Jace's ears playfully, earning herself a terrifying death-glare. "She's right!"

"I'm hungry, by the way," Clary added. "And I think Max wanted to eat lasagne, today."

"I'll start right away!"

"_No!_"

Both, Clary and Jace grabbed one of Izzy's arms, preventing her from reaching the countertop. She raised her brows at the couple quizzically.

"Why don't we join Max in the living room?" Jace said, tentatively. "Let Alec handle our dinner, right, Al?"

Alec grimaced at the shortening of his name – when Jace was first brought to their home, years ago, he had insisted to be called _Alec_ instead of Alexander, but the other boy made it a game to find a different nickname for him, something no one else used. _Al_ was one of many and one of those Alec didn't like. But then again, it wasn't like Jace listened to him.

He nodded his consent, definitely agreeing that it was a _bad_ idea to let Izzy anywhere near cooking. It wasn't just that the girl couldn't do it, it was more like a _curse_. Whenever Izzy tried to cook, something went horribly wrong – and the food not being edible was one of the harmless outcomes.

Besides, unlike his siblings he _could_ cook. Apart from his piano and his drawings, this was a hobby he quite enjoyed, though at first he had been really reluctant to learn it. But with nothing else to do, there hadn't been much options for him to spend his time.

"Oh, fine!" Izzy caved, though she wasn't happy about it. "Let's watch 'Transformers' if you guys are that desperate!"

_Everything's returning back to normal_, Alec thought with a soft smile dancing around the corners of his mouth as he walked towards the fridge, getting rid of his jacket in the process. Yet, as he remembered what had occurred earlier that day, and what Izzy and he had talked about, he realized that _no_, life wouldn't be normal, anymore.

But that wasn't necessarily bad, right?

* * *

_That is_...

"Perfect."

… _no, definitely not_.

Grimacing at his own mirror image, Alec picked at the collar of his azure button up shirt. It was uncomfortably tight, just like his jeans, and the color... Well, he preferred black over anything. At least the outfit wasn't too eye-catching – for Izzy's standard, that was.

But when he thought about what Izzy had made him wear during the Pandemonium ordeal, he liked these clothes much more. And they were wonderfully simple.

"It's a shame," his sister muttered while she scrutinized him critically, "That Magnus doesn't want you to wear something fancier. I've bought you tons of new outfits!"

Sadly, that was true. Whenever he looked into his wardrobe, he spotted clothes he sure as hell had never bought.

"But, fine," Izzy sighed dramatically, before breaking into a wide grin. "This suits you perfectly, and that shirt brings your eyes out, looks hot."

Alec blushed at the compliment, mentally berating himself for his reaction. _God_, it couldn't be healthy to blush as often as he did, could it?

"Anyway." Isabelle threw him his coat and waited until he had put it on, before she grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of his room, rushing through the hallway towards the staircase. "Lover-boy should be waiting for you. And remember: if anyone stops us before we're out, act normal, got it?"

He nodded slowly, though wondered what exactly 'normal' was. At least, they wouldn't have to worry about him slipping up – he was sure that if he had been able to talk, he would have been a terrible liar. Well, not that he was a better liar without the ability to speak.

Alec hadn't slept the whole night, laying wide awake on his bed and staring into the darkness, occasionally reading Magnus' last messages over. To say he was nervous would be an _understatement_.

What should he expect from this date? What would it be like?

In TV shows, first dates were always a dinner, and people tried to get to know each other better. Would they be doing the same? Getting to know each other?

_What would that involve?_, he mused, a little spark of fear rising in him.

"Where are you two going?"

They stopped in their tracks, Izzy's hand already on the knob of the front door, startled by the timid voice. A quick glance over his shoulder and Alec saw Simon on the first step of the staircase, watching them in surprise. As much as he liked the boy, it irritated him that he was always at their house.

"None of your business," Izzy hissed at him. "Tell anyone and I'll skin you!"

Okay, now he pitied Simon, at least a little bit. His sister could be scary at times.

"What-"

The rest of the sentence was swallowed by the slamming door. That was totally not suspicious, no. _Absolutely not_.

"I know what you're thinking." Izzy glared at him, but it was half-hearted. "He won't tell on us."

Alec disengaged himself from Izzy's iron grip and formed signs with his hands, while walking next to her. '_Jace will notice that we're or rather I am gone._'

She just rolled her eyes. "So, what? Don't worry, 'kay? I'll keep him away from your room, make up some excuse, and you enjoy your date."

And that would work? Somehow, he doubted it. Alec wasn't really afraid to admit to his brother that he was going on a date with Magnus... well, maybe he was a tiny little bit. Jace was... these past weeks, Jace had been acting strange – more protective than was usual for him. Then there was his obvious dislike for the warlock...

_I'll tell him, some day_.

"Why such a long face, darling?"

Startled, Alec looked up, only to be met by a pair of sparkling yellow eyes. He hadn't even notices when they passed the gate. Magnus had been petting one of the two gigantic dogs, laying on guard, and stood up in a fluid motion to greet them.

He shook his head and smiled at the other man, wanting to assure him that he wasn't in a sour mood – though, his smile was shaky due to the unnerving fluttering in his stomach and the fast pounding of his heart. _Keep calm, Lightwood_.

"I'll leave you to it, then," Izzy announced loudly. "Have fun, bring him back on time and no sex on your first date!"

Alec stared mortified at the retreating back of his sister, lips parted slightly in disbelief. _Oh my God_! He felt an embarrassed blush creep up his neck as he dared to take a tentative glance at Magnus. The warlock grinned broadly, winking at him. "I love your sister."

_Why am I not surprised_? His lips twitched into an amused smile, the tension in his muscles easing.

For the first time since he had stepped out of the gates, Alec took in Magnus' appearance – his jacket hid whatever he was wearing, but he could see something red. The jeans were extremely skinny, but it was apparently a trade mark of the warlock. What caught his attention the most was the mix of red and blue streaks in his hair, along with some glitter, but not as much as usual. Nothing special, yet Alec found himself liking this outfit – it seemed to fit.

_But his eyes are his most beautiful features_.

"You coming, darling?"

Magnus held his hand out towards him, smiling delightfully as he took it. A startling jolt shot through his fingers as soon as they connected with surprisingly warm skin – and he instantly knew that it wasn't only the familiar tingle he felt whenever they touched, but a surge of magic that trickled through his veins.

It wasn't as intense as it had been the first time, yesterday, but it left his insides warm and fuzzy, nonetheless.

"I arranged dinner," Magnus said as he led him away from his family estate. "But just going to a normal restaurant seemed so _boring_. Therefore, I thought of something to spice things up."

Alec frowned, concentrating on the tingling in his veins, as he remembered he had done yesterday. "_What have you planned?_" It was weird to be talking to someone through his thoughts, especially since he had to be careful what to think and what not, but he liked it, a lot.

Magnus nudged him playfully, eyes twinkling brightly. "Secret."

* * *

_Woah_.

Alec's mouth hung open as he stared at his surroundings. Magnus had led him to a restaurant in a rather deserted area of New York, from the outside it seemed to be shabby and cheap. Yet, that wasn't the case, apparently, since it was magnificent once you walked through the entrance.

They were standing in an enormous garden that was dimly lit by tiny fireflies flying around, the moon's blueish light barely touching the place. The sections with the tables were separated by large coppices, that gave the guests their privacy, each was decorated by lone flowers of different colors.

In the middle of all of it was a fountain as large as a small lake – and residing in it, _just like that_, was a piano, and it was playing a slow tune, although no one was occupying it.

That was... _incredible_.

"Mister Bane?"

Alec was snapped out of his admiration by a timid voice, and as he looked up he caught Magnus turning his head away from him to greet the approaching waitress – a small woman with greenish skin. She seemed bored, though her gaze briefly flickered towards him, a confused expression rushing over her face.

"You can give me your coats." They did as told and with a snap of her fingers, his coat and Magnus' jacket disappeared – Magnus was wearing a red blazer and underneath it a white shirt, he noticed. "Your table is this way." She motioned for them to follow her and led them to a section directly in front of the fountain.

It could have been his imagination, but he could have sworn that people were watching them curiously as they passed – and it made him slightly uncomfortable. He hated others judging him.

As soon as they were seated opposite each other, the waitress handed them each a menu. "I'll come by later when you have decided on something to eat."

"Sorry," Magnus mumbled sheepishly, when she was out of earshot. "The downworlders aren't used to humans in this place."

Alec nodded in understanding and looked around, the thick coppice was hiding them from curious eyes, yet it surrounded them from only three sides so that the front was bare and they had a good view of the fountain.

"I wasn't sure if that'd be too much," Magnus admitted while watching him carefully. "But then again, our first date should leave an impression, shouldn't it? Wouldn't want you to run after this."

_As if_, he thought and could feel himself reddening at it. Hesitantly, he reached for Magnus' hand over the table, enjoying the electric jolt running through his insides. "_Why this place?_"

The warlock smiled warmly at him, intensifying his blush even further. "I like it quite a lot. Although it's already winter outsides, in here it's always spring – like an own little world, far away from reality. And who doesn't want to escape reality, sometimes?"

Once again, Alec looked around, before agreeing with Magnus. This place was secluded from the outside world, it reminded him of a dream, something surreal.

"_Do you want to escape reality often?_" He knew that he did. His music and sometimes drawings were nothing else but an escape from a life he often perceived as a golden cage.

Something dark flitted over Magnus' features, making Alec tense up. Did he say something wrong? "Well, I did, in the past. And maybe I still do." He shook his head as if trying to get rid of his own thoughts. "Anyway, we should decide on our food. We can talk afterward."

Apparently, he had hit a sensitive topic and Alec knew better than to pry. Instead, he focused on his menu, trying to decide what he would like – although, it wouldn't matter that much.

So, when the waitress approached them again, he nodded to Magnus, indicating that he would order the same as the warlock: Roasted duck with orange sauce alongside a simple salad, two glasses of red wine and as dessert a Fabulous Fudge Chocolate Cake. Well, the cake was just Magnus', since Alec didn't know whether he could eat all of this.

"You know," Magnus said as their food arrived – it literally flew in front of them, "You could've just told me what you want." For emphasize he wiggled his fingers. "Instead of letting me guess."

Alec rolled his eyes, as if he had had any problems with guessing. He held his hands up and shook his head, before reaching for his cutlery. As much as he enjoyed communicating with Magnus in their special way, he would also like for the other to understand him without it.

"Mean," Magnus pouted playfully, and Alec grinned at him, amused at his antics. "And how am I supposed to get to know you like this?"

He shrugged nonchalantly and pointed with his fork at the other. _You start_.

Magnus pursed his lips, brows furrowed as he started to eat. Silence engulfed them for a long while, and even though it wasn't unpleasant Alec couldn't decide what to make of it. Was Magnus displeased with him? Shouldn't he have asked him to start talking about himself, first?

_Maybe he doesn't want to tell me anything about himself_?

"I'm over eight-hundred years old," Magnus' soft voice suddenly startled him, and it was then that he noticed that he had stopped eating, while Magnus had already finished and was nipping at his wine. "When I was still a child, my mother committed suicide because she couldn't bear my sight – I reminded her of my father. Afterward, my step-father tried to drown me and I accidentally killed him."

Baffled, Alec put his cutlery down and stared at Magnus wide eyed. That... wasn't what he had been expecting, not at all.

A dark shadow lingered on Magnus' face, and the far away look in his mesmerizing eyes told Alec that this memory was far more painful than Magnus' words made it seem.

In a surge of determination, he grabbed the warlock's hand in his own, squeezing it gently. Magnus flinched slightly upon contact as if snapped out of something, and when he returned his gaze, he blinked away the remnants of a time long gone.

_Not your fault_, Alec wanted to tell him, and meaning it. But even though he didn't direct his thoughts towards Magnus, his lips twitched, forming a small, yet sincere smile – and as a firefly flew over his head, Alec absorbed how mesmerizing he actually was.

_Beautiful_.

"_My mom died when I was young during a demon attack – I don't remember what happened. I lost my voice that day._"

Normally, he wasn't someone to reveal such an intimate detail of his life, but... in that very moment it simply felt right. And from the way Magnus intertwined their finger, bringing them up and pressing a firm kiss on Alec's knuckles, he knew that the other understood.

"Well, enough of dark thoughts," Magnus whispered. "Come take a walk with me, hm?"

Alec let Magnus pull him up, and followed him to the fountain, hands still intertwined. Magnus sat down on the edge while Alec stood in front of him, and stretched his legs a bit, sighing contentedly.

The pale light of the moon illuminated his face, giving it a surreal glow.

How did he get as lucky as to have caught the attention of someone like Magnus? He was sweet, understanding, beautiful and wasn't bothered by his muteness. _This_ was like a dream.

Magnus looked at him, and although the fact that he had been caught staring made him blush hotly, Alec couldn't avert his gaze, transfixed. The green flecks in between the sea of yellow shimmered, intriguing him.

"I love your eyes," Magnus murmured softly, as he tugged him closer until he was standing between Magnus' legs. "That shirt brings them out beautifully."

Alec smiled shyly, though it wasn't easy as he was distracted by his heart pounding fast and loudly in his chest. It worsened as one of Magnus' hands wandered to his neck, carrying on little pressure, while the other rested on his hip.

His own fingers clutched Magnus' shoulders as he leaned forward, not exactly sure what he was doing, just following an instinct. _God_. They were so close... Magnus' hot breath washed over his face...

He didn't know who overcame the last few inches, nor did he care at the moment – His whole focus was on the soft, yet firm lips pressing against his own. Instantly, he shut his lids, sighing contentedly as tingling sensations exploded where their mouths were touching, rushing from there through his whole body.

It wasn't much, but a lot at the same time. He relished the sweetness and tenderness of the kiss, enjoyed how Magnus' grip on his hip tightened and moaned tonelessly as a wet tongue traced his lower lip, only for a few seconds.

When they parted, Alec's eyes fluttered open and he couldn't help but smile brightly at the sheer bliss marring Magnus' features. So happy about such a little gesture... At least, he believed that Magnus had shared far more passionate kisses with others, whereas that had been _his_ first one.

For a moment, Alec mulled over if he should lean in and steal another kiss, but froze in his motion as his gaze met with someone's over Magnus' shoulder. Cold horror filled him, making him clutch Magnus more tightly.

"Alexander?"

Magnus turned to follow his gaze, but a bit too quickly so that Alec, who hadn't been attentive, lost his footing. A surprised gasp ringed in his ears, followed by a loud swash as water flooded over him.

And still, that cold, yet mocking look flicked in front of him. _That look from those green-black eyes_.


	7. Drowning in blue

**-Ice-Rose:** Yes, he fell into the fountain, dragging Magnus with him ;) And he rather enjoyed his first kiss :D

**A/N:** How come that I always receive an email for guest-reviews, but they are displayed days later here? It's confusing... Anyway, I've got a new chapter for you guys (Christmas-gift) ;) I'm rather curious how you'll like it; there are several hints about Alec's 'condition' and the ending... well, don't kill me xD I'll try to update this weekend, but no promises, since my finals are coming up and I should start studying sometime soon ;-)

On that note, I wish you all a merry Christmas! Enjoy the holiday and, of course, my Malecness :D

* * *

_**Drowning in blue.**_

* * *

Magnus couldn't grasp what happened.

One moment, he was in total bliss, relishing the tingling sensation of Alec's warm lips against his, and the next, when he was damn sure Alec would lean into him again, the boy froze mid-motion, his whole face contorted in horror. As he was about to turn around and see what terrified his date so much, a body crashed into his, throwing him off balance – and straight into the cold water.

_Fuck_!

Startled, he tried so sit up and, simultaneously, dragged Alec, who was laying on top of him, unmoving, with him. _Fuck_! As soon as his head broke through the wall of water, he gasped for air, inhaling it greedily. But it felt like he couldn't get enough air into his lungs; they were burning.

_I'm not drowning. I'm _not_. Drowning_.

Squinting, he repeated that mantra over and over in his mind. Forcing himself to listen and believe – until his heart calmed down and his pulse slowed. _Not drowning_.

His eyes snapped open when he felt fingers digging painfully into his shoulders and something pressing into the crook of his neck. Alec was clinging onto him as if his life dependent on it, and it took him a few moments ere he realized that Alec wasn't _with_ him. His breathing was uneven, his posture rigid and his face, as he recognized after he pushed a few wet strands aside, deathly pale.

A panic attack? And Alec seemed to be in _real_ pain.

Magnus grabbed his face with both his hands, forcing Alec's head up, glazed over blue meeting him. Unseeing. "Alexander? Alec!"

The boy flinched violently as if he had been punched, yet Magnus didn't release his grip, firmly holding him in place. Alec blinked slowly, his gaze becoming more focused. His chest was still heaving up and down rapidly, his fingers still clutching desperately onto Magnus – but he snapped out of the stupor he had been in.

"Are you alright?"

Alec just stared at him, surprise and confusion marring his features. His hands slid up Magnus' shoulders, touching his face tentatively. The fingers were wet and cold, but the contact elicited comfortable tingles, nonetheless, tough Magnus couldn't concentrate on _that_ right now.

There was obviously something wrong, and concluding from how shaken up Alec looked, it had to be bad.

"Are you alright?" he repeated his question more firmly.

At first, Alec nodded, then, immediately, shook his head in denial – his gaze flickered over Magnus' shoulder, but when he followed it, there was nothing, at least nothing that could have caused such a heavy reaction.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

Gently, he guided Alec out of the water, being careful no to trip on the stone of the fountain, until they both could sink onto the ground. Behind Alec, he saw the waitress from earlier, striding towards them, but when he shook his head she stopped in her tracks, unsure.

Some of the other guests, who were close enough to have witnessed their little stunt, watched them curiously, though Magnus didn't pay them any attention – he was completely focused on Alexander's shaking form, confused with the current situation.

What was going on?

"What did you see?" he asked quietly.

Alec's eyes widened slightly, long enough for Magnus to note, before he composed himself again. Yet, Magnus could tell he was in distress for the normally calm blue of his eyes was a swirl of emotions he couldn't grab, a little storm raging in those depths. And, beside that, Magnus wasn't able to hear his thoughts, although he was sure Alec was trying to communicate with him.

"Calm down, darling," he said in a soothing voice, running his fingers through Alec's wet hair. "Take a deep breath, then try again."

Alec did as he was told, inhaling deeply. This time when he reached for Magnus, his hands didn't tremble. Nonetheless, it took him a moment to gather his own thoughts and direct them toward Magnus; the storm wasn't only raging in his eyes, but also his mind.

"_There- that guy from Pandemonium. The one who-who wanted to kill Clary._"

Magnus frowned, and cast a glance behind himself, just to be sure that no one was there. That night in Pandemonium he hadn't got a really good look at the man Alec had been about to fight, too occupied with his own opponent, but Alec would have gotten a good view of him. Though, why would that creep be here? Stalking them?

Sure, they both had helped to rescue Clary, yet neither he nor Alec had much to do with this whole case and whatever these people were after. So, why had he been here? And where was he now?

"_His eyes are terrifying._"

Snapped out of his musings, Magnus concentrated his focus back on Alec. He moved his fingers from the wet strands to Alec's cheek, stroking his thumb over the cheekbone. "Well, he's not here anymore, I guess. No need to worry, darling."

His words were supposed to be calming, yet Alec was anything but calm. There was something else... a haunting shadow lingering on his features. And Magnus wondered... "It's not only that creep that has you shaken up that much, is it?"

Alexander hesitated, just briefly, yet enough for him to pick up on it. "_I'm fine._"

Instantly, Magnus knew that was a lie. But what could he do about it, anyway? Whatever it was, Alec wasn't comfortable enough to speak about it, and he knew better than to push. "Well." He heaved himself up, offering Alec a hand to help him up, too. "I guess, it's time for us to leave?"

Taking the offered hand, Alec stood up, but his gaze flickered to their abandoned table, an untouched cake decorating it. Magnus knew why the other was hesitating, and smiled at him. "Don't worry about that. You'll just owe me another, huh?"

"_Are you sure?_"

Magnus chuckled, warmed by the concern, but Alec definitely needed some rest and as much as he loved this restaurant, a change of scenery would do both of them good. "Yes. Besides, we're soaked, and I don't know about you, but I hate the feeling of my clothes clinging to me like that."

A hot blush adorned Alec's pale cheeks. "_Sorry._"

"S'okay. Now, wait a sec." He clicked his fingers, blue sparks drizzling from the tips, and Alec was dressed in a dark shirt with light glitter on it and not so tight jeans – his own clothes. The boy looked down at himself, brows raised in awe. When he stared back at Magnus, the warlock simply shrugged. "They are mine. I don't know what kind of clothes you have, so."

You would think there was a limit for how hotly a human could blush; apparently Alexander was far over that limit. Rudolph the reindeer would kill for such an intense glow.

"Let me pay and we can be off, alright?"

* * *

"And they enter the lion's den."

He wasn't completely sure, but Magnus could have sworn that Alec ducked his head to hide an amused smile. That was something, an improvement. During their whole walk back to the Lightwood mansion, Alec had been reserved, as if stuck in his own thoughts.

Though, he hadn't complained about the arm Magnus had thrown over his shoulders, nor was he complaining now as they passed through the gate and he pulled him a bit closer. It felt nice, especially since Alec seemed to lean into the touch – it relaxed him, Magnus could see.

"You know," he murmured, slowing down his steps, "Maybe you should tell your siblings about what happened? I mean that creep and... yeah."

Alec took his lower lip between his teeth, musing, and Magnus couldn't help but stare. Those lips had been delicious, and he wondered when he would get another taste.

"_I'll tell Izzy_," was Alec's hesitant reply, "_Jace – well, he doesn't know that we were..._"

Confused, Magnus frowned. "Doesn't he know that you're gay?"

And there it was again, that cute blush in combination with those deep blue eyes, widened in surprise. Really, no boy, nor man should be able to look like _this_. "_Of course he knows. But, uh, he doesn't like you much_."

Right. Magnus chuckled, amused. "Considering that he threatened me not to molest you, I guess he really doesn't like me a lot."

Alec's mouth hung open in mortification, causing Magnus to laugh heartily. Poor guy, his siblings were rather difficult, but then again, they just looked out for him and there was nothing wrong with that. And he doubted that Alec minded it that much.

"Don't worry," he smirked, "I'm not going to listen, anyway."

Even though clearly embarrassed, Alec poked him playfully in the side, smiling shyly.

As they reached the front door, Alec turned around so that Magnus' arm slide between his shoulder blades, blue eyes twinkling bewitchingly. Magnus stared, lost in those depths, his insides tingled warmly.

Having been alive for over eight-hundred years, he had had a lot of relationships – but never had he felt this attached to someone in such a short amount of time. They had a connection, he knew it, felt it, they understood each other even with few or no words. Was this normal? Clearly not, but what _was_ it, exactly?

Shaking his head slightly, he focused his attention back on Alexander, and leaned in without much thought.

Even now, he wasn't prepared for the electric shock exploding in his lips upon contact with Alec's, and, from there, coursing through his veins. Alec's fingers wandered into his hair, gently threading through his colorful strands. Encouraged, he licked the lower lip Alec had been biting with his tongue, and dipped into the warmth of another mouth as soon as Alec's lips parted, surprised.

_By the devil_! Magnus moaned lowly, pressing Alec closer to himself. He could taste their dinner, especially when Alec's tongue touched his hesitantly, but another mix of flavors made him dizzy. It was something between mint and chocolate along with apple. How come that this could work? It tasted amazing, unique.

When he leaned back to catch his breath, his lips still hovered over Alec's, warm, choppy breath hitting his face.

The blue in Alec's eyes he adored so much was a bit darker, glazed over with amazement and joy. Magnus smiled, pleased with such an intense reaction. _Beautiful_.

"_I-I have never kissed anyone before._"

Surprised, Magnus blinked. It took him a few moments to realize that that had been Alec invading his mind – and more to get his words. Well, that fit to the picture he had of Alec, thus far. Shy, sheltered and more than innocent.

But he didn't feel bad about stealing Alec's first (and second) kiss, and from the look of it, Alec wasn't bothered by it, either. He grazed his lips over Alec's cheek, while one of his hand was playing with the dark strands, until he reached the ear. "Well, I hope your first kiss was amazing, darling."

Alec nodded. "_Definitely._"

"Good," he chuckled, smirking inwardly at the shiver running through the other's body. "Now off you go, I bet your sister's staying guard behind that door. And don't forget to tell her what happened."

* * *

'_Izzy knows about that guy and she's gonna investigate. And she kinda forced out the details about our kisses out of me... your not mad about that, are you?_'

Magnus smiled softly at the added question. It was really sweet how Alexander was concerned about such little things.

'_That's good. And don't worry, it's not like I'm ashamed about kissing you or something – everyone may know :D_'

The reply wasn't immediate and Magnus could picture Alec perfectly; lying in bed, face illuminated by the light of his phone, a hot blush staining his cheeks.

'_Night, Magnus._'

'_Good night and sweet dreams, darling_.'

"Gross."

Magnus jumped from his stool, a startled yelp escaping his lips. Ragnor was sitting next to him on the floor, legs crossed, and stared at him amusedly. "Mother-fucker!" he cursed while his erratic heart tried to calm down. "How the hell did you get in? And how long have you been sitting there?"

Ragnor shrugged nonchalantly. "As I always come in." And how would that be? "I've not been here for too long, but how come the almighty Highwarlock of Brooklyn didn't notice me, a commoner and no one?"

Taking a deep breath, Magnus slid back onto his stool, laying his phone aside. "I – was busy with something."

"Your newest boy-toy?"

Thank God that Magnus had known this idiot for a few centuries, otherwise he wouldn't have been used to these kind of out-of-the-blue comments and would have fallen off his stool, for sure. "What?"

"Oh, please," Ragnor huffed, "Don't play dumb, doesn't suit you. I heard that you were at 'Eternity' with a human."

Okay, whether he knew him well or not, Ragnor always succeeded in creeping him out. "How do you know that? It was just a few hours ago!"

His friend smirked wickedly. "I have my sources." Most probably meaning that he had met with someone, who, coincidentally, had been at the restaurant. Seriously, Downworlders were the worst gossips! "So, who's the guy?"

Magnus sighed heavily, knowing that there was no point in denying Ragnor that information. The fucker could be persistent, experience taught him that much. "Alexander Lightwood."

Ragnor blinked, his mouth opened without a sound leaving, both brows raised high. "Lightwood? Like bastard-I-hate-more-than-cat-abusers Jace Lightwood? Like synonym-for-trouble Lightwood?"

"How many Lightwoods are there?" Magnus snorted. _Dickhead_.

"I was just confirming," the other warlock murmured defensively. "So, you're interested in a Shadowhunter. That's disturbing."

"Your ex had a foot-fetish, _that_'s disturbing."

"I won't argue that," Ragnor admitted, grimacing. He frowned, mulling over something, before he started to speak again. "I know that two of the Lightwoods' kids are hunters. But I think they are not the oldest... There is talk about the eldest not being a hunter."

"He isn't experienced," Magnus provided. "His family doesn't let him hunt."

Ragnor nodded, still in thought. "Yeah, there's something wrong with the kid."

"There's nothing wrong!" Magnus hissed through clenched teeth, his right hand curled into a fist. "He's mute, yes, but there's nothing wrong with that." It wasn't as if he had had any say in it.

Puzzled, Ragnor looked at him with furrowed brows. "He's mute? Nevermind, I'm not talking about that."

Irritated, Magnus narrowed his eyes. "Then, _what_ are you talking about?"

"I'm not sure," Ragnor sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "I think I've heard something about him, a long time ago? The name rings a bell, at least, and I'm pretty sure that whatever I've picked up, it was about _something_ wrong with him. Or maybe I'm just mixing him up with someone else."

Now, the idiot had him confused. 'Picked up' meant that Ragnor had heard it somewhere in the darkest corner of Downworlder society. But why would anyone be gossiping about Alec? That made no sense. Jace and Isabelle, yes, but Alec?

"Oh, well," Ragnor said dismissively. "Just be careful."

That was simply strange, even for someone as weird as Ragnor Fell. But if he couldn't remember, there was no use to further question him.

"Was that all? I'm tired." And it was quite late.

Ragnor indicated to a pile of books on the table. "These are those about rituals. I don't have more, but maybe they will help."

"And that couldn't have waited till the morning?" he grunted in displease.

"I love to surprise you!" Ragnor grinned brightly. _Fucker_.

"Get out. Now."

"You always throw me out, you know that?"

He rolled his eyes, irritated by the fact that he was still talking with that moron. "Whatever."

His friend just laughed as he got up, but before he left Magnus held him back. "You'll tell me if you remember anything, right?"

For a moment, Ragnor stared at him, a seriousness in his gaze that had been absent during their conversation. "Of course." His lips twitched into a small, sincere smile. "You've got it pretty bad with that kid."

That night, Magnus couldn't find much sleep (nor the following ones, but that was due to the amount of books he he made himself study) – the talk he had with Ragnor not leaving his mind, alongside Isabelle's words from that night she called him on his infatuation with her brother.

_Being with Alec isn't easy_.

* * *

On the third day of fruitless studying, Magnus dumped the books, threw the door to his study close, and marched out of his apartment, Chairman Meow in his arms.

It was ridiculous! Firstly, he couldn't believe how hard it was to find what he was looking for. He knew he had seen that strange rune, they had discovered in Pandemonium, _somewhere_, most probably in a book about rituals. Secondly, he had no idea why he was even making such an effort. He could let the stupid Nephilim deal with it...

_As if_. There was this urgency inside of him, making him search and search. Actually, he had planned to look up the rune at some point, but since his date with Alec, since Alec had been that terrified by one of the kidnappers stalking them, he _had to_ know. He could care less what happened to the Clave, but whatever threat was looming over them could affect Downworlders, as well, and definitely _Alec_.

At least, he had received a few texts each day from the blue-eyed boy – they were always short, yet sweet, especially when Alec wished him Goodnight. They kept him somewhat sane.

_I've already gotten involved, huh?_

"Meow!"

Chairman Meow scratched his paws over Magnus' cheeks, demanding attention.

"What?" he asked, irritated.

The cat just stared at him, willing him to understand. It was then, that Magnus felt the familiar vibration of his phone and took it out, hastily. _Unknown number_. "Hello?"

"Magnus, it's Izzy. I stole your number from Alec, he wouldn't just give it to me. Can you believe that?"

Isabelle? "Is Alec alright?"

Amused laughter was his answer. "God, you're cute. Miss my brother?"

"Actually, _yes_." No need to lie, besides if Isabelle could tease him about it, she, surely, was more than fine with all of this.

"Well, then you'll love me," she declared, "Jace, Clary and I are attending a meeting. Simon is at home looking after Alec, and neither he, nor Max will utter a word to anyone."

"Looking after Alec?" he repeated, confused.

"Yeah, he... uh, he's sick. Fever and all, nothing serious. But we don't want to leave him with Max, I mean, Max is a _child_."

Magnus furrowed his brows, locking eyes with Chairman Meow, who's ears were strained. He had wandered the Earth for a long time and thought that he could read people quite well. Something was off...

"So, I come over and nurse him back to health?"

"Your company would be enough," Isabelle chuckled, though a bit uneasily. "He'll be fine, no need to magic him."

"I could do it the old-fashioned way," he countered, amusement lacing his words. "But, okay. If you're that desperate, I'll visit your lovely brother."

"Great!" she beamed. "We'll be off in a minute. When can you be here?"

Well, since he was outside, already... "Fifteen minutes?"

"As soon as possible, huh? Doesn't that prove who's desperate?" And she cut off the line, leaving Magnus stunned.

Chairman Meow mewled happily as if agreeing with Isabelle.

"Don't forget who feeds you, traitor!"

* * *

True to her words, neither Isabelle, nor Jace and Clary had been home. Simon greeted him at the door, though he seemed to be very uncomfortable and tense. Chairman Meow hopped off his arms as soon as he entered the warm house, and he let the cat stray off, following Simon over to the stairs.

"Nervous much?" he couldn't stop but ask, smirking slightly.

Simon adjusted his glasses on his nose, throwing a quick glance towards him. "Who wouldn't be? Isabelle may be a girl, but she can be scary." He shuddered. "If I tell anyone about you, I'll regret it. But if Jace finds out by himself and knows that I was involved in all this, I'm screwed, anyway."

Poor guy. "Everyone makes it sound like Goldilocks will go berserk or something."

"He might tolerate you, but he doesn't like you," Simon said. "And besides, I've been over a lot and I've seen what he's like when it comes to Alec. He _might_ go berserk, crazy as he is."

Magnus shrugged. As if he was afraid of that arrogant ass. What could a human do against him? Besides, that guy should understand that his brother was not helpless or fragile, and was capable of making his own decisions. Wasn't Alec even older than Jace? This family _was_ strange.

"So, what's wrong with Alec?"

"I don't know," Simon admitted as he led him through a rather large hallway. "Yesterday, he was totally fine. Even in the morning, he was okay. Then, he all of a sudden just collapsed while making breakfast."

Just like that? Magnus frowned. Isabelle had made it out to be nothing serious, but the way Simon told him this... it sounded more serious than Isabelle had let on. Who did _just_ collapse like that?

_What_? Magnus froze the moment Simon came to a stop in front of one of the many doors. There... there _was_ something. It chilled him to his bones, his hackles raised, a weird screeching sound penetrated his ears.

Hastily, he pushed Simon out of the way and threw the door open, heart pounding loudly in his chest.

Two people were laying in the bed, snuggled up together, both dark-haired. _Alec and Max_. But what made his heart falter, was the figure hovering over them. _No way_.


	8. Burning

**-****Shalanora:** Well, I like my cliffies ;) But don't worry, I always try to update fast :D

**-M:** -lol- I don't joke with cliffhangers ;P Thanks for reviewing, both of you!

**A/N:** The response to the last chapter was great :D Thanks! And I know, my cliffhangers are quite annoying, but I just can't resist... they just fit so perfectly :) Well, new chapter, and you find out what happens with Magnus and Max. Oh, and we're nearing one of Alec's 'defects' – you'll see, I'll reveal it pretty soon ;-)

Enjoy the chapter! I don't know when I'll update, though I'll try to hurry, but as I mentioned once, my finals are coming up and I have to study ;)

* * *

_**Burning.**_

* * *

Alec had always been a light sleeper. When they were little, Izzy and Jace had used to climb in bed with him, when he was sick, and, mostly, he had been awake the moment they had lumbered into his room. Therefore, the foggy haze of sleep enwrapping his mind started to dissolve as soon as a clicking sound reached his ears.

"Alec!"

Startled, he opened his eyes, still sleepy, his grip on Max instinctively tightening. It was dark, he couldn't see much, but there were people in here...

A yellow flash flew over his head, enlightening the darkness, and a guttural growl sounded from his left side, making him flinch. _By the Angel!_ Slowly, he turned his head in the direction the growl had come from – his heart froze in terror at the sight that he was met with.

A tall figure was hovering over him, two dark holes focused on him, taloned fingers stopped mid-way to Alec's face. Really disturbing, though, was the livid and bruised flesh of the _thing_, its bones, black and filthy, protruding from the flesh. It was disgusting.

_Demon_.

Dazedly, he sat up a bit, unable to do more. Then, his gaze flickered behind the demon, right next to his window. The curtain wafted slightly, allowing a streak of light to flow into the room; there was something _else_. And the longer he stared, the clearer was the black material, transparent where the light hit it.

It was smirking. _Like in Pandemonium_.

Another growl snapped Alec out of his shock, and it was then, that he noticed that the yellow flash from earlier was hitting the demon's arm and apparently, it was hurting it. He recognized that feeling emanated by the flash, that familiar magic... _Magnus?_

"Alec, move!"

Without another thought, Alec rolled himself over, dragging Max with him, and hit the floor with a loud 'thud', his stirring brother on his chest. His vision blurred, the pain in his head increasing, but he ignored it. As he scrambled backwards, he could see that the demon had tried to grab him, and instead had cut his bed in two.

"Hn? Whas wron', Alec?"

He pressed Max closer to his body, not wanting him to see that veil beast and hoping that Max couldn't hear his racing heart. But of course, the kid couldn't resist to look over his shoulder – and immediately froze.

_Shit!_ In a soothing motion, Alec run his fingers through Max' hair, trying to tell him that it would be alright. _They_ would be fine.

"Are you alright?" Magnus was, suddenly, standing right next to him, hands lowered so that darkness engulfed them. But not as much as that they weren't able to make out anything.

Alec risked a quick glance towards the warlock, nodding shakily, before he fixed his eyes on the demon, again. It was looking at Magnus, this time, a smirk, at least he believed it was one, on its default face.

"Magnus Bane," it hissed lowly, "What a surprise meeting you here."

_What?_ Puzzled, Alec furrowed his brows. That thing was talking like it _knew_ Magnus.

Beside him, Magnus stiffened. "What are you doing _here_?"

A chill ran through his body, when those eyeless sockets turned to him and Max, who was clutching his shoulders painfully. "Retrieving what my lord wishes for."

_The hell?_ He didn't understand a word – and not only because he felt dizzy and light-headed. What was going on? What was that thing talking about?

"Alec," Max whimpered, pressing his face into Alec's shoulder, thus gaining his attention, "I'm scared."

_Oh, Max_. Of course, he was scared. _This_ was not anything a child should be witnessing. Even if Max would become a Shadowhunter, soon, he shouldn't be confronted by a demon, yet.

"I really don't know what this all is about," Magnus muttered irritatedly, both hands raised in warning, "But you better get lost before this turns ugly."

"Never learning from mistakes, are you?" the demon hissed lowly, "Try me, warlock."

Magnus looked down at him, features tensed and serious. "Get out of here. If he as much as scratches either of you, it'll end badly."

And leave Magnus alone? He opened his mouth on reflex to show that he wasn't alright with that, but something flashed in the corner of his eyes, alerting him. Instinctively, he pushed Max aside and tried to jump backwards, but not fast enough. A searing pain exploded in his left thigh, for a second everything went black. Crashing and sizzling noises ringed in his ears, through the darkness, but he couldn't look what exactly those were.

"Max! Alec! C'mon!"

Someone tugged on his arm, dragging him to his feet and hurrying him out of the room. He wanted to protest, regaining some of his senses, he couldn't leave Magnus alone with that demon! He just _couldn't_!

"Move!" Simon shouted over the loud crashes. "Think about Max!"

As if on cue, another, smaller hand wrapped around his free arm. Now, both, Simon and Max were dragging him through the hallway. He could barely keep up with them, his vision was blurry and his steps unsteady. It was hot.

_Shit, I've been wounded!_, he realized a bit delayed, panic settling into each of his muscles, making it hard to move them. And that, just after Magnus had warned him about not to get injured! His thigh was on fire, the most prominent feeling aside from the worry in the back of his mind, fire that spread through his whole leg, making each step heavier and heavier to take.

"I've texted Clary and the others," Simon was panting, "They'll be here, soon."

He didn't hear clearly, the words jumbled to an incoherent wish-wash. White dots were dancing in front of him. As his left foot touched the first stair, his knee buckled and he lost his footing.

"Shit!"

For a moment, a really short moment, the haze around him lifted, and he could see perfectly well what was happening: Simon, too surprised by the sudden motion, lost his grip, and Max wasn't strong enough to hold him by himself, thus resulting in being dragged down, as well. He couldn't stop the fall, just watch the floor coming nearer, again and again hitting stair with his back or front or head.

_God_. His body was burning and stinging, all at the same time, so that he barely felt when he collided with the hard floor. Though, the throbbing in his head intensified so much that he was sure, his skull must have cracked open.

Eyes fluttering, Alec tried to move his right hand, tried to feel for Max, but it didn't work. It only hurt, a lot.

_Max... Magnus.._.

Forcefully opening his lids, he was seeing directly into that formless shadow from earlier – a surprised gasp was stuck in his throat. A chilly coldness crept into his bones, a stark contrast to the burning inside of him, making him dizzier.

His heartbeat racketed high, panic clasped his chest in a painfully tight grip, as that shadow flew closer, hovering over him. It was stretching something out, an arm?, touching his forehead lightly. Ice shot through that spot, causing him to flinch violently, increasing his pain unimaginably.

_Stop... it..._

Everything blurred into a mix of colors, dark, bright... his pulse resonated in his ears, loud and clear... and voices, no one he could recognize... the longer he listened, the better he could decipher the words...

"_It was the deal, and deal is deal. If you don't keep your end, the consequences-"_

"_-glistening like stars in that pretty face, aren't they? I wonder, how much they can-"_

"_What can you see? Will it happen, soon? Tomorrow? How will it end? Who will be there? Tell me, what you've seen. Tell-"_

"_Come hither, closer, more, little one. Come, see me, let me f-"_

"_-no light. Without one, the other won't be. Light means to feel and s-"_

Darkness covered his senses like a veil, blocking out every and each voice and color. Yet, he could have sworn several people were calling him.

* * *

It was really weird. He felt as if he was floating through consciousness and unconsciousness, not bound to his body.

There were always voices, whispering to each other, and the presence of other people. One was more prominent, as the soothing warmth never seemed to leave his side; it was comforting, especially since there was always this light coldness around him.

Some times, when his eyes would open for a few seconds, he could make out silhouettes; bustling through the room or sitting next to him.

He wanted to stay awake, to be with them, but his body didn't comply, as didn't his mind. It always slipped back into darkness, so complete it could have terrified him. But it was fine, even unconscious he didn't feel alone, not once, because...

The _touches_. Something caressing the back of his hand, at times touching his face and something else constantly running through his strands in soothing motions.

And murmurs. So quiet, yet firm that they echoed through the curtain of darkness surrounding him. _Alexander... fine... darling_.

* * *

The first time he was fully conscious, everything was quiet, the room he was occupying dimly lit. Alec almost believed he was alone, but then he felt he heavy weight on his head, and as he stared at it, he recognized an arm leading to a sleeping figure.

_Magnus?_ The dark hair wasn't spiked as it usually was, instead it was tousled and hanging in his face, but the red and blue streaks were still there. His head was laying on Alec's stomach, while he was sitting on a chair next to the bed, one hand on Alec's knee, the other in his hair.

Alec frowned, confused. That position had to be uncomfortable, how could Magnus sleep like that? And what was he doing here, anyway? What-

_A demon attack, that shadow, the fall from the stairs..._

As the memories rushed through his mind, Alec startled, panic grasping his heart. The sudden movement made Magnus' head snap up, tired yellow eyes focused on him. Alec stared back, body stiffening, and could practically see how awareness flooded those beautiful eyes.

"Alec?" His voice was rough from sleep, yet it had that calming effect on him, his heartbeat slowing down a bit.

Magnus blinked as if unbelieving, then, suddenly, he was grasping his face and sitting on the edge of the bed. Before Alec could see knife, lips crashed against his, the sheer force pressing him back into the pillows. Surprised, he lay there, unresponsive. Not till Magnus' lips moved tentatively against his did he response, tilting his head to the side and clutching Magnus' shoulders.

He could feel _and_ smell different emotions radiating off the warlock; relief, fear and delight. And all of this in such an intensity, that it overwhelmed him.

"Shit," Magnus said hoarsely as they parted, leaning his forehead against Alec's, "You scared the shit outta us, darling."

Alec tried to catch his breath, and let his gaze wander over the warlock's face, taking in each feature. He didn't seem to be hurt, just exhausted. But that didn't have to mean anything, did it?

"Hey." Magnus kissed his forehead gingerly, demanding his attention. "Are you alright?"

He nodded slowly, brows furrowed in thought. Nothing hurt, not really, although there was a numbness in his body. Questioningly, he stared at the warlock, and apparently Magnus understood what he was asking.

"That demon got you," he explained grimly, "It poisoned you, and along with your fever, it was a pretty bad combination. To top it off, you fell down the stairs." He touched Alec's temple, grimacing slightly. When Alec mirrored the touch, he felt a rough cloth wrapped around his temple, and winced.

_The fall_. Tightening his grip on Magnus' shoulders, he tried to concentrate as he had learned to when he wanted to communicate with the warlock, but wasn't able to. All it did was elicit a dull throb behind his eyes.

"You shouldn't try that, yet," Magnus hastily chastised as he rubbed his forehead soothingly, "You hit your head pretty hard. And with me drained off my magic, it wouldn't work, anyway."

_Oh_. But he needed to know what happened to Max! They both toppled over the stairs! Was he okay? Was he hurt?

"I better get your siblings."

Before Magnus could leave, Alec grabbed his hand and yanked him back. He ignored the puzzled look directed at him, and started to slowly form signs with his fingers, hoping that the warlock could understand them somewhat.

'Max?'

Magnus pursed his lips, frowning thoughtfully. _He can't._.. "You were off the worst from us all. Max and Simon are fine."

Relief flooded him at that, his muscles relaxed.

Seeing his reaction, Magnus smiled warmly. "I could read sign language once, it has been a while, but yeah. And it's just like you, worrying for others first, then yourself. Sweet."

He returned the smile, his cheek heating up. Magnus leaned forward, pecking him on the lips again. "It's hard to resist, if you look like _that_ at me, darling."

"Is Alec awake?"

Magnus jumped while Alec's eyes widened widely at the soft voice interrupting them. Max was standing in the doorway, nose scrunched up in confusion. But when his gaze locked with Alec's, his whole face lit up considerably.

"Jace! Izzy! He's awake!" With that he took off running, and jumped on the bed, straddling Alec and hugging him. "You're okay!"

"Now, now, kiddo," Magnus chuckled amusedly, as he took his seat from earlier. "Don't choke him."

Well, he didn't mind the extra weight, his brother wasn't that heavy. Max, however, jerked back, shocked, and climbed quickly off him. "Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry!"

Alec pinched Max' cheek fondly, shaking his head in denial. He was fine, more than that, actually.

"Alec!"

Jace rushed through the door, but Isabelle, who had been close behind him, pushed him aside rather harshly, and was next to him in a matter of a heartbeat. She hugged him, as soon as she was able to – and he wondered whether she crashed any ribs.

Then, he was wrenched out of her hug and another pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders, much gentler. "_God_," Jace breathed into his hair, "Don't scare us like that!"

_I really _did_ scare them_, he thought, his chest tightening. He hated this, he hated it _so much_. Why did these stupidities happen to him? Jace and Izzy seldom got hurt while demon hunting, and he didn't even do anything but ended in such a situation! First time he was confronted with a demon without his siblings around, and of course, he had to screw it up.

"Oh, stop it!" Jace snorted and tipped his finger against his forehead. "Even Izzy and I would have had problems fighting a Greater Demon."

_A Greater Demon?_ But... why would it break into their home? And how did it come in, first? There were barriers all around the house! And the dogs should have set off an alarm!

"Hey, Max?" Izzy turned towards the youngest, ruffling his hair affectionately. "Why don't you get Alec something to eat? We laid something back for him."

The kid was hesitant, he definitely knew that Izzy wanted him to leave the room for a while, smart as he was, but in the end, he caved and left.

"You've been out for two days," his sister addressed him as she sat down on the edge of the bed, opposite Magnus, "We were worried you wouldn't wake up."

"Thanks for the trust," Magnus muttered dryly.

"I didn't mean it like _that_," Izzy huffed.

Jace hadn't moved, so Alec settled against his side, the back of his head resting on Jace's shoulder. "If you're finished," the boy said, "I'd like to know what exactly you were doing here, Sparkly. Since you were so busy healing Alec, before, now's the perfect time, don't you think?"

Izzy stiffened visibly, and Alec wondered why that was. Magnus, though, just shrugged nonchalantly. "You should be glad that I was there when I was."

"That's not the answer to my question."

"Maybe I just felt like it?" For emphasize, he winked at Alec, making him blush hotly.

"_Bane_," Jace growled warningly.

Really, who was the older brother? Okay, maybe only by a few months, but nonetheless!

"I think," Izzy intervened hastily, "It's more important to know how the _demon_ got in and what it wanted."

"Abbadon is a Greater Demon, the Demon of Abyss," Magnus explained, drawing all their attention towards him, "Someone summoned him, apparently, though how he got in and why, I'm not quite sure. He disappeared during our fight, but he has to be around somewhere – these kind of demons don't leave without completing their task."

"Task?" Jace asked confusedly, "It works for someone?"

Magnus sighed. "Maybe. It _did_ say it was here to retrieve something for its lord."

"What lord?"

"Well, as far as I know, Abbadon is a subordinate of Samael," his voice was weirdly strained, his eyes glazed over as if he was remembering something. It reminded Alec of the look Magnus had, when he had told him about his mother and step-father. "He's a Prince of Hell."

_What?_ Irritated, Alec frowned. That made no sense, not one bit. What would a Prince of Hell want from them?

"Er, but why was it in Alec's room?" Isabelle inquired thoughtfully. "There's nothing besides an improved wardrobe, his old stuffed animals and some children's books."

_Little witch!_ Embarrassed, he glared at his sister who only stuck out her tongue in response. But Magnus didn't react to the last sentence, immersed in his own musings. And that pained expression... it was subtly covering his features. Instinctively, he touched the warlock's knee, snapping him out of whatever thought had him occupied and ignoring Jace's stiffening form.

Magnus stared at him, an unknown emotion rushing over his features. "I doubt it was after an item."

Alec bit his lower lip, remembering the way the demon had watched him and Max. This was so... _absurd_. He didn't ever do anything, barely anyone knew that he even _existed_ – why would demons, Greater Demons at that, break into his room? What was going on?

And the shadow... Did Magnus know what it was, too?

Slowly, he brought up his hands, and asked.

"What shadow?" Jace asked.

'The same as in Pandemonium. It was there, with the demon, and when I fell down the stairs.'

"I haven't seen any shadows in Pandemonium," his brother said, "But I wasn't paying much attention, I admit. And it was with the demon? Did it hurt you?"

He shrugged, not knowing what to reply. Its touch had been so cold, and it hat elicited that haze of colors and voices... But he hadn't felt any pain.

Magnus sat forward in the chair, taking Alec's hand from his knee into his own. "I did feel its presence, but I haven't seen it. That's really strange."

"Perfect!" Izzy exclaimed, jumping up from her seat. "Creepy kidnappers, stalkers and now Greater Demons and weird shadows. Oh, the joy of our lives."

"Stalkers?"

_Great, Iz_. Apparently, she was aware of her blunder, scratching the back of her head nervously. "Er, yeah. I'll tell you, but in private? I think I'll grab something to eat, too, if you don't mind." And off she was.

Jace stood up, removing Alec's weight from his shoulder carefully, though stopped mid-way towards the door to glare at Magnus. "What are you still doing here?"

Magnus rolled his eyes. "First of, you'll need my help with all this. Second, I'll check him over to make sure that everything's fine."

Although, obviously not happy with this, Jace left the room – only for Max to slip in with a plate with two sandwiches on it and a glass of juice, as if he had waited outsides for Izzy and Jace to leave. He set the food on the nightstand, before he turned towards Magnus, arms crossed over his chest.

"Why'd you kiss Alec?"

_Oh, God_. That was a very Jace-like tone... And Max had seen them?

"To kiss him awake, of course," the warlock smirked.

Max scrutinized him suspiciously, and if Alec hadn't been so mortified by his behavior, he would have found it quite amusing. Really, not only did Jace behave like an overprotective parent, now his ten years old brother seemed to imitate it. What the hell?

"Like in 'Sleeping beauty'?"

Magnus nodded. "Yep. He _is_ a beauty, wouldn't you agree?"

_He does that on purpose!_, Alec thought, ducking his head to hide his burning face.

"Well, I won't tell," Max declared, "If your kisses help him, it's fine." Then, he smiled at Alec. "You should eat, it's your favorite sandwich and apple juice."

Alec returned the smile, and Max left, apparently satisfied.

"Wow, your baby brother gave me permission to kiss you," Magnus said, amused, as he slid next to him into the bed. "Look how much I appreciate that." With that, he pressed his lips gently against Alec's in a sweet kiss.

Smiling benignly, Alec reached out to caress Magnus' face affectionately, loving it how the tanned skin felt beneath the tips of his fingers.

"I've strengthened the barriers around the house," the warlock murmured against his lips, "Hopefully, nothing will get in anymore."

Was it strange, if he believed that nothing will be breaking into their home? Just because Magnus assured that he had strengthened the barriers?

Magnus leaned back, eyes twinkling in delight. "Well, I guess I should be going."

_Not yet!_ Instinctively, Alec wrapped his arms around Magnus' neck, tugging him downwards to kiss him firmly. He didn't want the other to leave, the thought triggering a terrifying panic in him. Magnus provided warmth and safety, and he feared to be surrounded by that icy coldness once Magnus was gone.

As if sensing his resolve, Magnus laid down next to him, flicking his right wrist so that the door shut closed, before he threw his arm over Alec's waist. His mouth trailed wet kisses from his cheek down to his jaw, until he reached his throat.

He shivered at the tingling sensations the touches left, sighing contentedly. _Amazing_.

"You should eat, too," Magnus chuckled breathlessly and clicked his fingers, the sandwich appearing right in front of him, floating, "Not that I'm not enjoying this, but Junior Lightwood won't be too happy with me."

Smirking slightly, Alec took the sandwich, though it was hard to concentrate on eating while Magnus was apparently trying to eat _him_.

* * *

An eternity later, they were still in that same position, reluctant to move. No one had come in back, yet, and he suspected that Izzy had her hand in this. Not that he was complaining.

"You know," Magnus whispered, at some point, the seriousness in his voice alerting Alec, "When I heal someone, I can _see_ how my magic works in their body. I see their insides."

Alec froze, his fingers, which were drawing invisible patterns on Magnus' stomach, stilling, fear washing over him. _No_. He didn't mean – _that_. Did he?

"I'm not one-hundred percent sure, but I have a pretty good idea what the problem is with your body."

_No_. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. Magnus would have found out, one way or another, he was aware of that fact. Yet... Maybe he should have told him, beforehand? Before all of _this_? After all, something like that could affect a relationship, and if he had hoped for more with Magnus, he should have been truthful from the beginning.

But he had been afraid. Not of rejection, per se, but... a changed attitude towards him. Everyone behaved differently, once they knew. Hell, his own _family_ did!

_Though, he hasn't cared about the muteness_.

Maybe not, but Alec carried more garbage than that with him. How much would Magnus be willing to carry _with_ him?

Fingers rested on his chest, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I won't say it out aloud, nor will I ask, because it's your decision to tell me or not to. But I would like to know: Is there more that you are hesitant to share?"

He swallowed the lump in his throat, before nodding hesitantly. One more thing. _A freak trait_.

"That's fine, everyone has their secrets. I do, too, darling."

_But where there's trust, there are no secrets_. And he trusted Magnus, he really did – Magnus had helped them safe Clary, bringing himself in danger even though it hadn't been his job, he had shared an intimate memory with him, and he had never once left his side during those two days he had been out for.

Alec felt secure and safe with Magnus, loved the fuzzy feeling in his insides when they kissed, and yearned for the touches that made his skin tingle all over. They didn't know each other that long, yet he could share a lot with Magnus without fearing to be judged.

_Does it feel like this_ _if you _really_ like someone?_

Maybe he should tell Magnus? He guessed something, anyway. Slowly, Alec sat up, heart racing in his chest. Magnus' eyes followed his movement closely, curiosity making the yellow in them sparkle.

_He won't behave differently... right?_


	9. Bitter-sweet secrets

**-books for fun:** A lot of things are wrong with him... xD Just kidding ;) You'll find out, bit by bit. Yeah, Max is cute, isn't he? :D I love that kid.

**-Shalanora:** Well, you get to know, more or less ;) At least as much as Alec knows.

**-suzanne:** Thanks! :) Don't worry, you'll find out what they are after and what's wrong with Alec.

**-Guest (1):** Thank you ;) Since English isn't my native language, I'm always glad to read that my writing is apparently good – I'm try it :D

**-Ice-Rose:** There is more Magnus-Ragnor interaction in this ;) So, Alec tells us what's wrong with him, at least as much as he knows – of course, it's not enough for Magnus :)

**-Guest (2):** Thank you very much! :D

* * *

**A/N:** With a little delay, here's the next chapter for you ;) I know, you guys are excited to know what's wrong with Alec – and he'll tell us, but just what he knows. I won't be able to update this weekend, but probably next weekend – my finals are next week, and I can't wait to be done with them! Wish me luck ;D

By the way, over 100 Reviews! You guys are amazing :D Hope, the chapter is thanks enough – I really appreciate it!

* * *

_**Bitter-sweet Secrets.**_

* * *

Magnus was quite good at reading people, having had centuries to observe them and therefore, learn it. And Alexander was like an open book, most of the time his emotions were displayed on his face, visible for everyone. But sometimes, he had to read between the lines to be sure that he understood Alec correctly – and that wasn't as easy as it might sound.

Right now, as Alec sat up, his expression was closed off, yet there was a myriad of emotions gleaming in his eyes. _Determination. Fear. Hesitation_.

Even though, Magnus had the urge to stop Alec from whatever he was about to do, since he clearly wasn't comfortable, he suppressed it and merely watched curiously. Alec leaned over him to reach the nightstand. The warmth radiating off his body emitted pleasurable tingles on his exposed arms, that were trapped between the bed and Alec's chest, and in his stomach.

When Alec pulled back, he was holding a small black book and a pen in his hands.

"I thought this was a guest room," Magnus noted questioningly. "Why do you have this here?"

Alec scribbled something down, so quickly that it seemed as if his fingers were flying over the page. Magnus scooted closer to have a better look on what he was writing. »_I broke my hand once and everyone got frustrated (me included) because performing sign-language with one hand is nearly impossible. So, they stocked every room with paper and pens for emergencies_.«

Well, that explained it. Better be safe than sorry, huh? Though, before he could open his mouth to reply, Alec was already concentrating on the page again, but his movements had stilled. A deep frown marred his forehead as his eyes were shut closed, and he was nibbling on his lower lip, absent-mindedly.

Magnus wondered what this was about. Apparently, Alec wanted to tell him something, yet he was hesitant, not sure whether he should or not. But what had him in such a tumult? What was on his mind that he was afraid to share?

_I mentioned his condition_, he thought sullenly. Not one of his best moves, he had to admit, and he could kick himself for that slip-up, if one could call it that. He hadn't intentioned to tell Alec that he might have seen something strange within his body. He _really_ hadn't.

But they had been laying so peacefully with each other, he had been so relaxed for the first time in weeks. And then, the memory of how he healed Alec and what he had felt and seen there surfaced to the front of his mind, too stubborn to leave. It had consumed him so much, made him anxious and concerned, that he couldn't hold his tongue. _Stupid_.

The noise of scribbling snapped Magnus out of his musings, redirecting his attention back to Alec who had resumed his writing, albeit a lot slower and more careful than before. Curiously, he watched that pale hand moving over the half blank page, the noises of the pen touching the paper loud and clear in the quiet room.

As soon as he had finished, Alec looked up, locking gazes with him while clutching the notebook almost desperately. Not for the first time, Magnus realized how expressive those blue eyes were – each emotion swimming in there was so intense that he could _feel_ them himself. The fear was most prominent and it made his chest clench painfully.

There was a silent plea within, for what he did not know, yet he smiled at the boy reassuringly.

Slowly, Alec turned the book to show him its content, arms trembling slightly.

»_I have a defect. My heart doesn't work normally._«

He raised a brow questioningly. "What do you mean, it doesn't work _normally_?"

Alec's lips parted a bit, a silent sigh Magnus assumed, as he wrote a reply, now faster. »_Sometimes, it's okay, it beats normally and all. But then there're times when it's too slow, seldom too fast, and I get sick a lot because of that, just like that. It's not simply fever, my body can't adapt to the sudden changes._«

There was a pause, Alec gave him a moment to process the information, then added, »_When I was five, it even stopped for nearly a minute and I was sick for a whole month after that. My family is scared that it might stop suddenly and not resume beating again._«

That was quite interesting, and it cast more light upon matters he hadn't understood, till now. "Is that why you're not a Shadowhunter?"

Alec stiffened at that, a dark shadow passed over his features. A very sensitive topic, Magnus noted. »_Yes. It's too risky, too stressful for my heart, they say. Dad won't let me watch them hunting – hell, he won't even let me out of the house without Jace or Izzy!_« The last part dripped full of anger.

Harsh. No wonder Alec was so insecure and shy with him, or had been for a while. The boy was brought up sheltered with nearly no connection to the outside world. What kind of life was that? Caged within your own home?

Partly, he could understand the Lightwoods, their worries and fears. They were, after all, justified. But then again, danger was everywhere, even in their own home, as recent events had shown. They couldn't just lock Alec away with the excuse of protecting him.

Granted, the risk of damage was higher when Alec was out on his own with no one to help if anything should happen. Yet, his heart could go crazy at home, too, and as much as Magnus had registered, Jace and Isabelle were on hunts a lot and Max was just a child, so it was the same risk. Alec could get hurt either way, couldn't he?

"And what exactly is wrong with your heart?" he asked curiously.

Shrugging, Alec replied quickly, »_They're not sure. Dad lets only one of the Silent Brothers and sometimes a warlock treat me, no doctors._«

Interesting. Apparently, Robert Lightwood knew something, otherwise he would have already hired a doctor for Alexander's treatment, a specialist. Though, why didn't he tell his son? As it concerned Alec, he had a right to know what was wrong, didn't he? What was it about this situation that made Robert Lightwood hide something probably really important from Alec?

_But if his father's hiding something from him, so am I, aren't I_? And there it was, that sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. _Guilt_?

Magnus doubted that Alec suffered from a simple cardiac defect – no, he _knew_ Alec didn't, after all he had a good look at it.

It was strange, he had _never_ seen anything like this.

If his magic flooded through another beings body, he was able to see the pattern it followed and furthermore, see the inside of his patient, it was rather useful to find internal bleeding and such. Alec's heart had been slow, each beat took longer than the one before as if it was _forcing_ itself to beat – it was nothing short of a miracle that it didn't stop. Although... it happened often, maybe even on a regular basis? And the heart never stopped... Could this still be considered a miracle or was there something else?

Though, there hadn't been anything wrong, per se. At least not with the organ as one. But what was weird... It hadn't been palpable, he had nearly missed it, but once he had noticed something out-of-place it became more than obvious.

An energy field surrounded Alec's heart, a field that sizzled with disturbing magic. When Magnus' own magical essence came in touch with it, his connection with Alec had been abruptly disrupted as an invisible force threw him through the room right into the door. The shock and icy coldness elicited by that short touch had him paralyzed for several minutes, even making it hard to breathe.

The second time he dared to intrude Alec's body out of curiosity, since there hadn't been anything to heal, anymore, he was wary to make the same mistake twice. Instead, he had followed the pattern of the energy field, that was wrapped around Alec's heart like a protecting blanket, and found a single branch, that left this blanket like a loose thread from a sweater. It led to the eyes, flowing into another magical field.

Nephilim had angel blood in their veins, therefore also some amount of magic, though really a bit of it. But _that_ was simply disturbing. And definitely not healthy for a human body inadequate for magic, therefore it was a great cause of worry.

_Should I tell him_?

He wasn't sure whether it was his place to tell, nor if he should considering that he had not much information on the situation. Maybe after some thorough research? When he had more understanding and insight?

The quiet noise of a pen tapping against paper made Magnus sharply aware of the tensed boy next to him. Alec didn't even notice his nervous actions, head ducked and too focused on staring down. He frowned, confused about why Alec was behaving so... _scared_?

_He was scared to tell me about this_.

"Hey." Tentatively, he touched Alec's cheek, letting his hand linger on the cool skin. Alec, slowly, looked up, lips pressed into a thin line. "What's wrong?"

Alec squirmed lightly, his grip on the pen tightening. That fear lying in his features... he felt like he knew it, like he could place it. Yes, he _could_...

"You know, it means a lot to me that you shared that with me," he smiled. "I understand that it's a sensitive topic for you."

Hesitantly, Alec pointed with his pen to Magnus, then back to himself, a silent question lingering in the air. It took Magnus a moment to get the question, and when he did, he couldn't help but chuckle, amused. He leaned forward, hand still on Alec's cheek, and pressed a soft kiss to his bandaged forehead.

"I know that you can't talk and I don't care. Neither do I care about your cardiac defect, darling – I care about _you_ and not the wrongs that aren't even your fault. And let me tell you, you're a very sweet person."

Ah, he had already wondered where that trademark blush had been hiding for so long, and now it was creeping back into those pale cheeks. If there was anyone who looked beautiful blushing, it surely was Alexander.

"Why'd you think I would have a problem?" he asked, and as Alec wrote his reply, he rested his head against his shoulder and watched him writing.

»_Everyone does. It's hard to be with someone like... me. Knowing that it could end at every minute and caring for me a lot when I get sick – I hate it._«

Magnus admitted that it wouldn't be easy. He had never really cared for anyone, at least not in the sense Alec needed to be cared for, therefore he had no idea how he would handle it. Yet, it couldn't be impossible, his siblings did it, after all, and he was willing to try it. Though, before he could answer, Alec was scribbling down something else.

»_It's hard for my family, too, and not fair to them. I'm always their priority, no matter if their own life has to suffer because of it._« He hesitated a bit, an anxious pause. »_Jace once nearly broke up with Clary because of me._«

Surprised, Magnus raised a brow, not sure whether he read that correctly. He had seen Jace interact with Clary, had seen how strong their bond was, and could hardly believe that Goldilocks would even _think_ about breaking up with Clary.

As if sensing his question, Alec replied, »_I didn't like her, at first. She was a newbie, had no experiences and wanted to help everyone even if it wasn't her job, and Jace supported her, no matter what, and ended up hurt on many occasions. She seldom did since he protected her – and that made me so angry. We argued, a lot, and then she said things..._«

Here, he halted, muscles tensed. A quick look at his face told Magnus that he was remembering something unpleasant, there were hard lines around his mouth and his eyes were slightly glazed. Instinctively, he touched Alec's free hand, snapping him out of whatever memory had held him captive.

Alexander shook his head, smiled thankfully at him and continued, »_She told me a few things Jace said to her when he was drunk and frustrated. It hurt, and I was already worked up before that; really bad combination. I remember that my chest hurt too much and I couldn't breathe, then I was out and Clary didn't know what to do. When Jace found out what happened between us, he was so furious, I've never seen him angrier – he didn't talk to Clary for weeks. He hardly listened to me when I swore that it wasn't only her fault._«

To be honest, Magnus believed that one immediately. It sounded like Jace. He wondered what it was that Clary told Alec, apparently some things Jace felt toward him, but he was hesitant. Alec was watching him carefully, a bitter smile tugged at his lips.

»_Let's just say that he was frustrated, because Dad wasn't home and between hunting and me and Max he and Izzy didn't have much time for themselves – like for dates. He didn't mean it, he was angry, but yeah..._«

Magnus nodded, then reached forward and took the book and pen out of Alec's hands, causing the other to pay full attention to him. "I get it that your condition isn't easy, not for you and not for those who care. But seriously, darling, what's easy in life? I could walk out of that door and your brother could slash me."

Despite the horrified look on Alec's face, Magnus smirked. "I'm just saying. Each and every one of us could die at any moment; with you it's just a higher risk. So what? It doesn't change anything between you and me. Though, I am wondering..." He pursed his lips in mock-ponder, amused how stiff Alec had gone. Always awaiting to worst, huh? "Am I _with_ you?"

Alec blinked, surprised, blushing lightly. Then, suddenly, he stretched forward on his knees and pressed a lingering kiss on Magnus' lips. _Yes?_

Magnus smiled contentedly. "Then I guess we are, hm? And I'd be stupid to let you go, now, no matter what."

A soft purring stopped him from stealing another kiss, out of the corner of his eyes he saw a ball of white fur rushing to them and landing on Alec's thighs. Instantly, the boy leaned back from him and turned towards the intruder.

"Chairman," Magnus muttered sourly. The door was still closed, how did the cat get in? Unless he had been here for longer... _Mood-killer_. That cat was the devil reincarnated himself, there was no other explanation – and was it smirking at him as Alec stroked him behind his left ear? He gave Chairman Meow a look, silently saying, 'don't forget who feeds you'.

Though, the delighted sparkle in Alec's eyes and the gorgeous smile on his glistening lips made him forget his annoyance. Well, if Chairman made Alec happy, he could endure the little devil for a while.

"Bane! Are you still here? Get out!"

But that blond jerk he couldn't endure, _never_. Too bad the mouse-ears were gone... Fucking bastard.

* * *

"You're leaving?"

Magnus smiled ruefully at Isabelle, stepping the last two stairs down, Chairman Meow on his head. Considering that his hair was a mess, anyway, he didn't complain. "Sadly. I think you're brother hates me."

Isabelle's hand stilled with her cup touching her lips as she tried to hide an amused smirk. "Oh? I thought Alec was very _fond_ of you."

"Of course, he is," he chuckled. "That other one, though..."

She shrugged. "You hate him, too. It's even, sweetheart."

"Thanks for the sympathy." _Not really_.

Isabelle winked at him, but didn't say anything else, just nipping at her drink while staring at him.

A thought occurred to him, and he wondered why it hadn't earlier. Had he been this consumed by Alexander? "You didn't want me to nurse Alec back to health with magic. Why's that?" Maybe it was only Alec who didn't know what was going on? Though, that would be pretty cruel, no matter what the reason for his family to hide it was.

Confused, Isabelle frowned. "Reflex? I dunno. Dad lets only two people treat him, no one else, his constructions."

Again Robert Lightwood. _Weird_. "Apropos your Dad – when's he gonna be home?"

Even more confused than before and a little bit suspicious, Isabelle leaned back against the wall, one arm on her hip, the other still holding her drink. "Why?"

Magnus smiled innocently. "Curiosity, I guess. Besides, if I'm dating Alec, I'll have to meet Robert at some point, won't I?"

Isabelle's eyes widened in horror, causing Magnus to raise an eyebrow in a silent question. "You – what?"

"I want to meet your father," he repeated slowly, watching her reaction closely.

"No, you don't," she deadpanned – sounding so serious that Magnus couldn't suppress an amused snort. "You _really_ don't. It's hard on Dad that Alec's gay, especially because he's always worried about him; he's not happy about it but accepts it somewhat. But, he still wouldn't let any guy near him. And a Downworlder? You'll be dead before you can introduce yourself."

"Somehow, I doubt that." A good hunter or not, Robert was a mere human and had nothing against Magnus' powers. "Isn't it weird how protective you guys are? Alec's pretty irritated by it."

"Whatever," Isabelle muttered, "I don't know. He comes and goes when he likes."

_Well, that's shit_. "And that warlock that treats him? Who is it?"

"Why the hell are you so interested in this?" Her tone was defensive, almost anxious.

Magnus raised his hands in surrender, Chairman Meow purred as if showing his support for his warlock. "I care for Alexander, and I want to help or at lest, confirm some suspicions. I don't mean any harm, Isabelle."

The girl sighed tiredly, her forefinger tapping against her cup in a nervous motion. "I... I know. I think, her name's, er – Grey?" She scrunched up her nose, a look of concentration on her face. "Yeah, that was it. Grey, Tessa Grey."

_Huh, surprises everywhere_. That was the last name he would have expected to leave her mouth. He had known Tessa for a long while, they were friends, more or less. But she had never mentioned working for the New York Institute...

Then again, he hadn't heard anything from her for over a decade. Getting a hold of Tessa would be problematic, but not impossible. Hopefully.

"Thanks." He smiled a genuine smile at Isabelle, trying to ease her tension somewhat. "I guess, we should leave now."

* * *

"You're _so_ weird."

Magnus cast a questioning look over the edge of his wine glass, enjoying the sweet taste on his tongue with the slightest hint of something bitter.

Ragnor, who was sitting opposite him, pointed his fork at him. "I mean, everyone's wondering about that little episode in Pandemonium. The Clave's looking for those kidnappers. And _you_'re concerned for your boy-toy's health, obsessively so."

"My _boyfriend_," Magnus corrected, a sharp edge to his voice, though his friend merely lifted a brow. "And for your information, Alexander and I were stalked by one of that kidnappers, and it was Alexander who was attacked by Abbadon; so it's more than his physical health I'm concerned for. I know that this all is connected to his condition."

"Which I still don't get," Ragnor interjected. "Why would there be such a magical source in a human?"

Magnus eyed the other warlock as if he had turned a normal skin-color. "If I knew that, I wouldn't be discussing it with you, moron."

"So mean," Ragnor mock-pouted, then rolled his eyes, a grin on his lips. "I have no idea where Tessa is, but I can try to get a hold of her."

For all his density and annoying attitude, Ragnor was a great friend, Magnus admitted. A friend without whom his life would have been much more complicated. He made a mental note to buy him dinner, next time, along with a packet of gummy bears – the guy was addicted to them.

"But," Ragnor raised his fork, leaning forward on his elbows, "If I'm gonna do all this shit for you, I want to meet that boy-candy of yours. Has to be something special to have the magnificent Magnus Bane twisted around his little finger."

"It's magic," Magnus winked, only half playfully. At least it felt like pure magic, even if this sounded pretty cheesy.

"There's something different about you," Ragnor mused thoughtfully, "I haven't ever seen you this... it's more than happy. Not even-"

"Don't start," he hissed warningly, putting down his glass with a bit too much force. To his credit, Ragnor looked apologetic, yet it didn't do anything for his ruined mood. The sweet taste of the wine on his tongue turned completely bitter.

The universe was trying to punish him, he was sure of that. First that encounter with Abbadon – he had really hoped to never have to engage with these fucking archaic demons again, but apparently that had been too much to ask for. He knew that he had landed himself in deep shit with his actions against the Greater Demon, though it was worth it.

And of course, stupid Ragnor couldn't shut that trap of his when he should. What was it with life and trying to tear old wounds open?

The persistent vibrating of his phone snapped him out of his thoughts. With a last glare at his friend, he directed his attention at the phone.

'_Hey. It's Max' birthday next week, and he asked if you'd come? I would like that. - Alec_'

He blinked, surprised. Max' birthday? He didn't know Max that well. Hell, he hadn't even talked longer than ten minutes to the boy, and he was invited to his birthday? That was strange.

'_Not that I'm complaining, but why? Didn't realize that he liked me._'

Although, he had given him permission to kiss Alec. Did that count as 'liking someone'?

The reply was prompt, '_He does, which is surprising 'cause he doesn't like that many people. And, though he did ask about you, it was more my idea to invite you ;) But you don't have to come if you don't want to!_'

Magnus chuckled at the last sentence. That was just – _so_ Alec. He could imagine him, flustered and embarrassed, yet eager for an answer.

And was this Alexander's way of asking him out? Hm, considering that his family would be there, a rather poor attempt, but cute at the same time. Maybe he should teach him how to ask for a proper date, next time they saw each other.

'_Will be there. Btw, after that you can ask me out properly, darling._'

That surely earned him a blush – too bad he couldn't see it.

'_That, a- good night, Magnus._'

So flustered that even his message seemed hasty. Magnus grinned widely. '_Night, darling._'

Just after he send this, he looked out of the window to his left and realized that it was pitch-black, outside. A good night's sleep after these stressful days sounded too tempting...

"You know," Ragnor's voice cut trough his Alec-induced haze, and as he turned towards the other warlock, he noticed the sincere smile in his eyes, his lips only twitched slightly, "Keep that angel-candy for as long as you can. If your mood improves by only texting with him... He has a strong effect on you – in a positive way."

Magnus didn't bother to ask how Ragnor knew whom he had written with, nor did he dwindle on the fact that yes, his mood had improved rather quickly, he wasn't even angry at Ragnor for his near slip-up anymore, and simply returned the smile.

_I don't plan on letting him go_.


End file.
